


They Say You Die Twice

by R_A_Butler96



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-26
Updated: 2015-07-18
Packaged: 2018-03-25 22:42:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 36,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3827671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R_A_Butler96/pseuds/R_A_Butler96
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Buffy and Faith must travel to the Supernatural Dimension in order to stop an all too familiar Big Bad. </p><p>*These events occur directly after Season 7 of Buffy and Season 5 of Supernatural*</p><p>*Disclaimer* - I do not own any characters, events, or places from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Universe or the Supernatural Universe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Supernatural Encounter

Supernatural Dimension: Outskirts of Texas

On a dark, humid night, Sam and Dean were traveling down a long stretch of Texas highway heading toward Louisiana. Dean had read a newspaper in Emporia, Kansas about an incident at a wildlife park near Winnfield. Several bodies had been found with strange bite marks and were completely drained of blood. The victims had been found in an isolated spot in the woods when a couple of wildlife rangers were searching for the missing persons. The boys were concerned it was the work of vampires. 

Inside the Impala, Sam sat in the passenger seat, asleep, with his head laying on the headrest. 'Carry On My Wayward Son' played softly on the radio as Dean wearily drove on through the night. It had only been a few days since they left behind Lawrence, Kansas and the cage of Lucifer and Michael. 

Dean wore a black long-sleeved, button-up jacket over a long-sleeve olive colored shirt with a gray t-shirt underneath. His attire was rounded off by navy-blue jeans and brown boots. He was determined to get to their destination by morning but he found that he was losing his battle with sleep as his eyes slowly came to a close. Shaking himself awake, Dean reached for the cup of coffee sitting between his legs. 

As he brought the drink to his mouth, he realized the cup was empty. Crumpling the paper container in a single motion, he flung the remains in a burger bag sitting next to him. Dean cleared his throat with a sharp grunt before rapidly rubbing his hand across his face to shake off the sleepiness. He took a quick look over at Sam who was still soundly asleep. In the darkness Dean could see Sam was still wearing the blue and white plaid shirt with gray jeans he had been wearing two nights before. They had not stopped driving since then. Upon returning his gaze back to the road, Dean let out an unyielding yawn that signified he was losing his waging war with exhaustion.

A sign a few miles ahead all but sealed his defeat as a cheap motel proudly proclaimed it had vacancies and comfy beds. After pulling off , paying for the room, and parking the Impala, Dean shook Sam to wake him up. 

"Hey Sammy. Wake up. Time for bed", Dean said as he exited the car slamming the door behind him. 

The noise caused Sam to jolt awake. 

"Huh... What?", Sam said in a confused, sleepy tone.

Rubbing his eyes, Sam finally realized where they were. He gathered up his laptop and proceeded to follow Dean into a motel for what seemed like the millionth time. Looking around the area, Sam had an odd feeling come over him but he shook it off as being just sleepiness. 

After securing the premises, closing the drapes, and changing the sheets, Sam and Dean settled in for a well deserved rest. They were still shielded from angels thanks to the Enochian sigils burned into their bones and hex bags clouded them from demons. They were completely off the radar. 

A few hours into their sleep, Sam was awoken by the sound of a male voice speaking softly in their room. Rising from the bed in silent but steady motion, Sam looked around in the darkness trying to see any sign of an intruder. The bright orange glow of the streetlight outside was muted by the curtains creating a near pitch black atmosphere. Sam stood up from the bed revealing his only article of clothing was a pair of tight boxers. 

He could see the crummy motel paintings still glaring at him in the darkness and the screen of the 13-inch TV casting a hazy orange glow from cracks in the sides of the curtains. Sam's muscles tightened and rippled as he slowly scanned every inch of the room. The only other furniture was the two beds they were sleeping in, a small chair in the corner, and a table with no chairs. 

Sam slowed his breathing to long, deep intakes in order to maximize his hearing. Walking cautiously toward the table, his chest gradually heaved outward and back with each breath causing his muscles to swell and shrink. Sam grabbed the white shirt he had laid on the table and slid it quickly over his head, though it did little to contain his bulky frame. 

Near the door, Sam had placed a handgun inside a decorative pot. Upon retrieving the weapon, Sam reached for the door knob to peer outside. Just as his hand grasped the knob, a shadow from under the door moved away. With a blur of motion, Sam threw open the door and pointed his gun. To his surprise, nothing awaited on the other side of the door. The only thing Sam found was the piercing orange streetlight and the Impala. 

Concerned that there was something more sinister happening, he stepped back inside to wake up Dean. Just as he stepped through the doorway and secured the locks, Sam felt a presence standing behind him. Whipping around with his weapon drawn, Sam was met with a horrifying sight. Their dead father, John Winchester, was standing near the table, smiling back at Sam. 

"Hello, Sammy boy. Did you miss me?", he asked just before his eyes turned yellow revealing that he was actually Azazel. 

"DEAN!", Sam yelled with an urgent, deep tone keeping his gun on John. 

Dean, still in his clothes from earlier, awoke and grabbed the handgun under his pillow with a precision he had gained through numerous surprise encounters. He was on his feet and pointing his gun at his father within seconds of Sam's distress call. 

"Who the fuck are you?", Dean growled with impatience. 

While still facing diagonally toward Sam, John turned his head slightly to see Dean from the corner of his yellow eyes. The smile on his face widened. 

"Now is that anyway to greet your father?", John said with a chuckle, "I seem to recall raising you better?" 

Dean fired a single shot through John's skull. The bullet passed right through his head without leaving any marks and struck the wall behind him. Both Dean and Sam looked at each other with concern. To their knowledge, the only thing that was capable of that feat were ghosts; however, spirits could not shape-shift nor was John displaying any other ghostly attributes.

"You're not our father and you're sure as hell not Azazel cause I ganked him myself with the Colt", Dean angrily proclaimed as he held his gun toward the entity, "so who or what are you?" 

The entity, still posing as John with Azazel's eyes, turned completely around to face Dean. It's smile faded and was replaced by a threatening scowl. 

"You really should watch that insolent tone, little boy", the entity said while staring down Dean, "I'm not some monster you can hunt down and gank. I'm beyond your comprehension. Lucifer. Michael. They're just insects. I'm the big bad now. Hell, I'm evil itself. The First Evil. I will unleash unimaginable horrors upon this world and bath in-" 

"Okay", Dean shouted, "We get it! You're evil!" 

The First shot Dean a smirk. "You boys don't know what kind of shit-storm I've got planned for you yet but don't worry, Daddy will reveal all in time." John turned around to face Sam before unleashing a long crooked grin. "You boys get some rest now. You're gonna need it", John said before disappearing in flash of light. 

Sam and Dean scanned around the room with their guns still drawn. After an intense minute of searching, the brothers brought their weapons to a rest. Dean stared at the hole in the wall where the bullet hit. Both brothers were shaking slightly from the encounter. Despite all they had been through, the First had instilled a feeling of dread that they had never felt before. Sam stared at Dean with a stern, inquisitive look. 

Sam opened his mouth to speak- "Get your shit, Sam", Dean interrupted with a shaky aggression, "it's time to go." 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Dimension: London, England

On a dull, red double-decker bus heading toward the outskirts of London, Buffy sat on an old, worn out seat towards the back of the bus. Doing her best to remain inconspicuous, she wore dark gray sweatpants and a matching hoodie. She yearned for a blouse and some jeans, but living on the lam requires you to make big sacrifices. Thinking of her attire, Buffy giggled at the memory of Giles warning her to call her pants 'trousers' while in London as the word 'pants' was often used as a euphemism for underwear. While Buffy was lost in thought, the bus came to a stop in order to pick up more passengers. 

As if conjured up by her memories, Giles stepped casually onto the bus. Upon paying the toll, Giles strode calmly toward the back of the bus. Giles was wearing a light gray business suit with a matching vest, a white dress shirt underneath, a navy blue tie, and a dark gray bowler hat on top. As Giles approached Buffy, he looked around the bus as if he were trying to find an empty seat. The entire bus was empty. 

Giles then walked directly up to Buffy, "Ello, miss", he said in a south east English accent, "mind'f I sit 'ere?" Buffy almost couldn't contain herself. 

To her, Giles sounded like he was doing an offbeat impression of Spike. 

"Seats all yours, governor", Buffy retorted in a bubbly but sarcastic tone. 

Giles sat down quickly and shot Buffy a stern look. Buffy knew that look. That 'annoyed' look. 

"Buffy, I don't think you grasp the severity of this situation", Giles whispered in his normal accent, "all of the nation's governments think we are terrorists for what happened in Sunnydale and incidents are being reported around the world of girls exhibiting supernatural strength. We must keep a low profile." 

Buffy took a long, deep breath. She had beaten back the First and its army of Turok-Han. A triumphant moment indeed; however, it had left her home destroyed and the existence of the slayers revealed to the world. She had accomplished what she had set out to do. She created a world she could "fit" into by turning others into what she was, a Slayer, but rather than being able to embrace it, she had to hide from it. Giles tried organizing the new Slayers into an army but this only caused alarms to go off in the minds of government officials. 

After a raid on Giles' home in London, the Scooby Gang fled and separated only to effectively disappear into their underground lives. The only reason Buffy was even remotely close to London again was to visit an old friend. Giles and Buffy were sent a telepathic message from Willow instructing them to come to the coven of witches that had helped Willow regain control over her magic. Just as Buffy began to drift off into her memories again, she heard a muffled voice pulling her back to the real world. 

"Buffy?", Giles asked with impatience, "have you heard a word I've said?" 

Buffy stared blankly at Giles before responding with "Huh?" 

"I said, it is too dangerous to be in London right now", Giles whispered in a stern tone, "what was so important that you would risk your life and mine?" 

Buffy reached into the backpack sitting next to her and presented Giles with the Slayer Handbook. The old text writing of 'Vampyr' glared up at them like a beacon of light in the dark.

"I had to Giles", Buffy proclaimed in a nostalgic tone, "I couldn't get to it during the raid. Lucky for me, Willow kept it in a magically-inclined cabinet that the military guys didn't even know was there." 

Giles looked at Buffy with a fatherly sense of pride. Although she had turned her back on the Watcher's council long before it's decimation, he was glad to see she still embraced her responsibility as the Chosen one. Slightly embarrassed and glad Buffy didn't notice his parental gaze, Giles took off his glasses to clean them. 

"I just wish I could have saved the scythe", Buffy said sorrowfully while still looking at the handbook. 

Giles let a smirk creep across his face before putting his glasses back on.

"I wouldn't worry, Buffy", Giles said confidently, "Willow assured me it's safe." 

Buffy shot Giles a concerned look. 

"But, those military guys...they took it", Buffy said with a sense of urgency," I hardly call that safe." 

Giles reached over and rested his hand on Buffy's shoulder. 

"Willow was able to apport the scythe while it was still in transit", Giles said in a soft, assuring tone," In fact, she will meet us when we arrive at the coven." 

Both Buffy and Giles felt the sudden force of being pulled forward as the bus came to a hard stop. 

"That's it", the driver called out, "end of the line. 

As Buffy and Giles exited the bus, they were met with an unexpected sight. There, leaning on an old, pasty colored station wagon, was Faith Lehane. She wore a black long-sleeved leather jacket over a black undershirt that left a small slip of skin exposed above her black leather pants. Buffy and Giles were shocked at the sight of her as the last time they saw Faith, she was being tranquilized by the military and taken away. 

"Faith", Giles uttered in disbelief, "how did yo-"

"Look G", Faith interrupted, "I don't wanna get into all the nitty gritty. Let's just say the bastards should've used more juice in their tranqs."

Buffy removed her hood revealing her blonde hair that was now cut much shorter. 

"Faith?", Buffy asked in a calming manner, "You didn't...um kill anyone? Did you?" 

Faith let a small, attitude-filled grin signify her feelings towards that particular question.

"Nah, nothing like that", Faith replied, "Some of them are gonna carry a limp for the rest of their life but otherwise they live to tell the tale."

"How did you know that we were arriving here?", Giles inquired. 

Faith looked toward Giles, but focused her gaze on his hat. 

"I spoke to Willow. She sent me to pick you guys up", Faith said before letting out a taunting laugh, "but she didn't tell me how ridiculous you guys look." 

Buffy and Giles both looked down at their attire. 

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing", Buffy asked with a hurt tone knowing full well that she looked ridiculous. 

"We are trying to remain inconspicuous during our time in London", Giles said while fidgeting with his coat and vest. 

"Yeah I got that", Faith responded with a snicker, "B looks like she's miss-teenage-runaway and Giles, I have to admit, except for the stupid derby, you look like you always do just in a lighter suit." 

After a moment of realization at just how absurd they looked, Buffy took off her jacket revealing a white undershirt while Giles tossed his hat in a nearby trash can. 

"Well let's be on our way then", Giles stated with a defeated tone of urgency. 

Inside the station wagon, Buffy sat in the back seat while Giles rode shotgun giving Faith a chance to flex her driving prowess with a British vehicle. She was still getting used to having to sit in the 'passenger' seat to operate the vehicle as well as driving on the opposite side of the road. 

"FAITH! You're on the wrong side!", Giles shouted as a large, green hay truck came around a corner. 

Faith swerved just in time to avoid it; careening around the truck, off into the ditch and back onto the road again.

"I swear", Giles uttered with a sigh of relief, "you girls will be the death of me." 

"Don't worry, G", Faith replied in a confident manner, "I'm still a better driver than Buffy." 

"Hey!", Buffy yelled out from the backseat. 

"So ,G?", Faith asked in a more serious tone, "how do we know it'll be safe from the military guys at this convent?" 

"Well firstly it's a coven", Giles replied as he kept his eyes on the road, "and secondly, didn't you say that Willow spoke to you in person?" 

Faith looked annoyed at the given question as she responded, "Well it was less of a face-to-face meeting and more of a voice-in-my-head-from-outta-nowhere kinda meeting." 

Giles gave a look of 'I know that feeling'.

"Anyway, she basically tapped the mic and asked me for a favor", Faith continued, "she told me where to get a car and when to pick you up. She even dropped a map of this area in my skull. Its kinda unsettling to be completely lost and still know exactly where you're going, ya know?" 

"Quite", Giles replied, "To answer your question, the coven is a very old and powerful order. The coven's grounds are protected by an ancient magic spell that clouds their location by shifting its very foundation into a dimensional pocket where it effectively conceals the coven from all forms of surveillance, including magical and modern means." 

Faith nodded in understanding before replying, "So, hide-and-seek? Big bro will be everywhere lookin' for little sis and she's not even in the house anymore." 

Giles looked a bit taken back by the comment and how simplistically it explained their situation. 

"I see you haven't lost your knack for boiling down all my commentaries to their most bluntest form", Giles responded in an annoyed tone. 

The station wagon puttered down a long stretch of road before Faith confidently strode off their beaten path into the shrubbery. After bumping around in the tall grass, the car was now traveling down a long forgotten dirt road. There was no sign to indicate its presence and those who did not know of its existence would not be able to see it from the road. Willows implanted knowledge was operating at full capacity and worked even better than any GPS device ever could as it accounted for bumps in the road and unexpected animal life as well. Faith suddenly swerved several moments before a deer came bounding out of the woods in their path. Giles and Buffy shot each other a quick look as they both kept their eyes on Faith. 

"What?", Faith inquired with a look of annoyance toward Giles, "Haven't you been here before?"

Giles looked back toward the road. "The only dealings I have had with the coven took place at my home", Giles replied as his eyes widened at the sight ahead.

The car was heading straight for a large, ancient oak tree. 

"Woah, Faith?", Buffy exclaimed, "Stop. We need to STOP!!" 

In the midst of the screaming coming from Buffy and Giles, the ground gave way underneath the tree just before impact. The ground flipped until they were right-side up again. The trio and the car were now in a strange, nighttime place with a strange purple glow streaking across the sky and twinkling lights that appeared to be distant stars. The grass around them was now lavender and covered in what appeared to be glitter. 

"Okay. We're here", Faith exclaimed while staring wide eyed ahead. 

Buffy and Giles both had a dumbfounded expression as they were still reeling from the ground flipping. 

The path in front of them led to an old ramshackle house with small portal windows on either side of a large wooden door. Large green vines covered the sides of the hut creating a barrier that encased it. Tiny strands of blue light emitted from the vines giving the hut an almost glowing aura. 

"Buffy", Giles said in an urgent tone, "before we go any further, I must warn you. Adaajah, the witch who controls this coven, cares deeply for Willow and it was only because of her abuse of magic after Tara passed that they even intervened in the first place. They have a great disdain for me, as a former Watcher, and an even greater disdain for the Slayer line. Adaajah is an extraordinarily powerful being and it would be in all our best interests if you....both of you, were on your best behavior."

Buffy shot Giles a look of confusion.

"Why does she hate Slayers?", Buffy asked as if offended by the notion. 

"Yeah, what did we do except save the world and send Big Bad packing like a million times", Faith said with anger seeping through her words. 

Giles took off his glasses to clean them as he stated, "Well, it's the demon lineage of the Slayer line that Adaajah protests, rather than the individual girl. Perhaps it would be best if only I went in first and you..." 

"No", Buffy uttered with such resolution, "I'm not going to hide just because some witchy demon-hater has her panties in a bunch. We all go in together or we don't go at all."

Ahead on the path, light poured from the windows casting long beams across the car. The wooden door of the hut was thrust open as Willow stepped through the doorway. She gave them a spastic wave of 'hello' before enthusiastically motioning for them to come inside. 

"Are we together on this?", Buffy said as she waved back at Willow. "Um...y-y-yes..yes of course", Giles stuttered as he had become embarrassed by his remark as he felt it insinuated that Buffy could not handled the situation. 

"Alright then", Faith said as she opened the door of the station wagon, "Let's go before Red has a meltdown." After gathering their bearings and belongings, Buffy, Faith, and Giles left the car and began walking toward their old friend.

"It's pretty here, huh Buff?" , Willow said with uncontained excitement, "And the topsy-turvy ride is fun too." 

Buffy did her best to contain her head from spinning. 

"Sure, Will", Buffy responded in a unenthusiastic manner, "It's just like a roller-coaster." 

Buffy walked into the house first, followed by Faith. 

Giles turned to glance at the car and saw that it had vanished. With wide eyes, Giles gave Willow an inquisitive look. 

"Oh! It's okay, Giles", Willow said with a wide smile, "Faith kind of "borrowed" the car so I just put it back. I even replaced the gas." 

Giles adjusted his glasses and smiled, "I see you have become rather apt in the apportion department. I am very proud of the work you have accomplished these last couple of years." 

Willow jumped up to give Giles a big hug, "Aww. Giles, you're so sweet. But I couldn't have done it if you had not introduced me to these people. Especially Adaajah." 

"Well in all fairness", Giles replied, "The coven contacted me." 

Willow let go of Giles and grabbed his hand to lead him inside. 

"Either way. Thank you", Willow said as they walked inside the hut, closing the door behind them. 

Inside the hut, Buffy and Faith were standing in a large room with a fire pit built into the floor and a large cauldron hanging from the ceiling. Around the room, mystic ornaments of various sizes and origins hung on the walls; however, mixed in were significantly modern items such as an iPod station and surround sound equipment. Internet wires clung to the roof while they weaved around the room to various locations often becoming obscured by the towering plants that grew out of decorative pots. The fire pit was encircled by bones that were arranged in a very intricate design. The whole place gave off a strangely pleasant vibe as waves of euphoria would often waft by like a summer breeze. Giles, having studied the arts of magic, truly understand how significantly magical this place was. 

"Marvelous", Giles let out with an unbridled sigh as he drew in a deep breath. Buffy and Faith both looked over at Willow who looked like she was on her tenth cup of coffee. 

Buffy did not feel the joyous waves of euphoria and after a quick look of concern, she could tell Faith couldn't feel it either. 

"I don't get it", Buffy stated with a hint of disappointment, "how come we aren't riding the happy train?" 

Just as she spoke those words, a door slammed from in the other side of the room. 

"That is because your power lies in darkness", a soothing female voice spoke softly. 

"Adaajah!", Willow exclaimed, "my friends are here." 

Adaajah hovered above the ground slightly making here already tall figure look towering over everyone else. She had very pale blue skin with a shimmer that looked similar to the grass outside the house. Her long white hair was braided into almost unobtainable designs and flowed down her long gray robes. 

"Willow", Adaajah said with a motherly smile, "perhaps it's time you left this room and joined the others." 

Willow nodded furiously before hugging Buffy and Faith at once with a tremendous squeeze. 

"I love you, guys", Willow said in almost a drunken manner, "Oh, and Giles, I love you too." 

Giles, who had been staring at the wall, looked over at Willow. 

"Um...Willow", Giles muttered, "perhaps I should join you as I am feeling a bit under the weather at the moment." 

Giles then walked over to Willow in a slow and steady manner. Willow and Giles then proceeded to the room in which Adaajah had come from. Buffy and Faith looked at each other and then to Adaajah. 

"Okay", Buffy said in a stern manner, "what's going on here?"

Adaajah gazed at Buffy with a slight look of disgust.

"Do not worry, Slayer. Willow and the former Watcher are safe. They were merely overpowered by the entrance spell. It allows us to see if there are any demons hiding amongst those who travel here. Although it can cause mild intoxication; your friends seem to be quite susceptible to it. Despite this, they have signified to us that they are worthy to enter." 

"So, does that mean we are not worthy?", Buffy asked in an inquisitive manner. 

"Yeah. What does all this mean for us", Faith said crossing her arms across her chest.

"It means that you are welcome here only because Willow deems it so", Adaajah said with her gaze remaining on Buffy. 

"Well. It's always good to have a couple of Slayers around", Faith said nudging Buffy with her arm, "Never know when we'll come in handy."

"I see ignorance is your truest virtue", Adaajah said with an unwavering tone. 

"Yo, what's with the straight up animosity?", Faith asked with a tact that only she could pull off. Adaajah looked at Faith like an insect. 

"Your power is a corruption of evil", Adaajah said scornfully, "Men. Watchers. They took the very thing you sought to slay and made it apart of you. Then without regard for that power, you allowed the First Evil to take advantage of the Slayer line and unleash itself upon the world."

"I didn't asked to be brought back", Buffy said with anger welling up inside her.

"I am well aware of Willows involvement in bringing you back from death", Adaajah uttered while clasping her hands together in front of her, "but if not for your existence in the first place, none of this would have come to pass and the First would not be free to do as it pleases."

"Why do you keep bringing up the First?”, Buffy asked with a slightly concerned tone.

"Yeah", Faith interjected, "We kicked it's self-righteous ass straight back to hell, right?" 

Faith looked over at Buffy for affirmation but Buffy remained focused on Adaajah. 

Adaajah glided toward Buffy and Faith before descending completely to the ground in order to bring them closer to her. The Slayers looked like children next to the tall figure. 

"The First Evil no longer holds claim to this realm, this is true; however, that does not stop it from interfering with other dimensions. As we speak, The First is busy making arrangements that could extinguish all life in that dimension. Your very existence has put not only your realm in danger, but all realms danger and now they are at the mercy of the First Evil." 

Buffy stared up into Adaajah's black, twinkling eyes with an unwavering determination. 

"You're right", Buffy said in a calm but serious tone, "me coming back to life allowed the First to go all medieval, but I am not responsible for its actions. We will help because it is what we do. It's who I am. The Slayer. You look at me and all you see is darkness? Well, let me tell you something, it takes fire to fight fire." 

Buffy's fingers tightly gripped the Slayer's handbook in an attempt to reassure herself that she was indeed fighting for the side of good. Adaajah seemed mildly taken back by Buffy's comment; however, she retained her stoic composure and once again ascended into the air.

"Follow me", she uttered with a deliberate contempt as she turned around. 

Buffy and Faith followed behind Adaajah as they entered into the door that Willow and Giles had gone through. Inside this room, was a small circular area with a large black kettle sitting on the floor and talismans of various sizes piled up around it. The wooden walls were adorned with many magical items and gave the whole room a very kindred appearance. Hallways on either side of the room lead deeper into the seemingly endless hut. On the other side of the kettle Giles stood with his back turned reading a piece of parchment. Willow, who appeared to be in a much more somber mood, stood next to him pointing at some of the writing on the paper, she turned around to see Buffy and Faith enter. 

"Hey, Buff", Willow said in a grim tone, "Did you speak to Adaajah?"

"Yeah, Will", Buffy declared in a solemn manner, "I'm up to speed. Looks like we have to 'stand against the forces of darkness', as usual." 

Willow looked over at Giles with concern written all over her face.

Giles acknowledged Willow with a nod and then turned to Buffy with a burdened look, "I am afraid this is much more dangerous than any of the quarrels you've faced in the past. I really wish we didn't have to resort to something like this but it is our only option."

"Well, spill it already", Faith said impatiently. 

"As I'm sure Adaajah has made you aware, the First has left our plane and traveled into another one", Giles said as he pulled his glasses off to clean them, "We are obligated to warn it's denizens of the First's capabilities and if necessary, railroad it's plans in the process. What I'm trying to say is, we need representatives from our dimension to...to go into their realm."

Buffy looked at Willow in a way old friends do. 

"Field trip?", Buffy asked. 

"Field trip", Willow responded. 

"Woah? You mean we're actually going to another dimension?", Faith asked as everyone gave her a look of concern, "What? I'm totally on board. I'm just sayin', its heavy, right?" 

Willow took the parchment from Giles's hand and showed it to Buffy. 

"Look we have a spell to get you into the realm and we also already know some guys that can help you out when you get there", Willow said with a cheerful optimism as she laid the parchment on the table. She then took a piece of folded paper from her pocket and handed it to Buffy . On the paper was a drawing of Dean and Sam plus several facts and symbols associated with their world. 

"Ooo, Will", Buffy stated with an enthusiastic grin, "they're cute!" 

Willow rolled her eyes and smiled. 

"Well I'm not an expert on the subject or anything, but, yeah, for a couple of random guys in another realm, they are pretty knee-bendy", Willow responded with a nudge to Buffy's arm. 

"Let me take a look", Faith said as she grabbed the paper, "Oh, hell yeah! I'd give that a ride." 

Giles cleared his throat with a forced cough that was loud enough to catch everyone's attention. 

"That is...quite enough. While you lot stand there and drool over a doodle", Giles said with a strong tone of annoyance, "the First is out there doing God-knows-what to innocent people." 

Buffy took the drawing and slid it into the Slayer handbook. 

"Sorry, Giles", all three girls said in unison.

"We should get everything ready", Willow said as she walked over to a table that was sitting next to the cauldron, "Oh! Before I forget. Here Buffy." Willow took a large, red jeweled-locket from the table and handed it to Buffy. 

"This will allow us to communicate with each other once you get there", Willow stated as she stared at the trinket, "it belongs to an ancient sorceress who once traveled through the realms. Please Buff, take care of it."

"I will. I promise. Thank you, Willow", Buffy said as she slipped on the locket.

Looking down at the new necklace around her neck, Buffy realized she was still wearing her incognito disguise. Grimacing at her attire, Buffy let out a small grunt of disgust.

"No, no, no, no, no, no", Buffy said as she pulled at her sweatpants, "I am not showing up to the cute boys party looking like a homeless person." 

Buffy looked at Willow with a pleading look. 

"Will", Buffy said in the sweetest tone she could muster, "Could you-"

"Don't worry, Buff", Willow interrupted, "How's this?" 

Willow snapped her fingers causing Buffy's attire to change from an undershirt and sweatpants to black sleeveless v-cut shirt and dark gray jeans with black sneakers. 

Buffy looked down at her new clothes. 

"Now we are ready", Buffy said as she tugged at her shirt to straighten it. 

"Buffy", Giles said as he approached Buffy, "you may need to convince these Winchester brothers that you are indeed an ally from another realm. If you are unable to convince them otherwise, it may be necessary to...um incapacitate them."

"Don't worry, Giles", Buffy said, "Nothing will stand in our way of stopping the First's plans. Local heroes or not."

Buffy suddenly remembered the Slayer's scythe. She looked over to see it on Willow's spell table.

"We're going to need the scythe, Will", Buffy said as she motioned for Faith to get the weapon. 

Willow picked up the Slayer scythe from the table and handed it to Faith. 

"Oh man", Faith exclaimed as she swung the blade around her, "I forgot how good this feels." 

Faith then strolled over to Buffy in order to take her place for the spell. 

"Is there anything else we need to know before we go to Never Never Land?", Buffy asked as she looked toward Giles and Willow. 

Giles walked over and put his hands on her shoulders. "Just that we care for you...both of you", Giles said with a fatherly smile, "please come back to us safe." 

Buffy embraced Giles, Willow, and even Faith in a comforting group hug. 

"Alright enough with the Brady Bunch moment", Faith joked as she gave a mock look of disgust backing away. 

"Let's get this magic school bus on the road", Willow said as she put on a large red robe with a hood that completely hid her face.

Giles walked toward one of the hallways and entered a room at the end. 

As Buffy and Faith stood in front of the cauldron watching Willow arrange the items on the table, they felt a hand press down on each of their shoulders. Adaajah had been hovering in the background in silent meditation the entire time and was now floating behind the two Slayers. 

"I am forming a conduit between you two so you can arrive together and in the same place", Adaajah whispered in a hauntingly distant voice, "Do not fail your quest or we all shall perish." 

"Great", Buffy said sarcastically, "no pressure then." 

Adaajah began chanting in a foreign language that sounded like deep gasping breaths. Willow started chanting in a completely different language that seemed to form a melodic tone as the two speeches filled the room. Buffy and Faith began feeling an intense tingling sensation. The tingling sensation slowly intensified until it became a strong vibration. Several coven members began walking out of the hallways dressed in the same red robes as Willow. Each member was holding a lit black candle. 

All the coven's witches were chanting together forming a thunderous aria that was just on the verge of becoming a song. The cauldron in front of them began to glow with a bright white light with swirling purple smoke exuding from it. Willow started throwing in small magical items such as crystals and powders causing the cauldron to bubble and writhe as the glow intensified. Buffy and Faith were then suddenly enveloped in a bright burning light that covered them. 

"WILL...", Buffy shouted just as Faith and her disappeared into the light. 

As if a switch had been flipped, the glow from the cauldron disappeared and the melodious chanting ceased. Silence fell over every inch of the room. Willow threw off her hood and walked over to the scorch marks on the floor. 

"Good luck, Buff", Willow said silently before turning to face the coven members, "Um...can someone get me a mop?" 

Supernatural Dimension: Vampire's Nest

As dawn approached, a group of nine vampires, six men and three women, began walking out of the woods just south of Winnfield toward an old, dilapidated barn. They were all wearing normal clothing, such as t-shirts with sayings on them, blouses, and even stylish sneakers, in order to appear more human. The group was laughing and carrying on about the night's kill. As they drew closer to the barn, it became clear just how rundown the ancient farm building had become. The wood had grayed from a lifetime of exposure and any signs of the original paint's color were long gone. The entrance to the barn was caved-in, requiring the group to bend down and crawl inside. In the back of the barn, under some moldy hay, was a trap door that led to an underground area. 

The group walked down a long row of stairs into their underground sanctuary. At the bottom of the stairs was a single room with shelves erected as make-shift walls. On the shelves sat jars filled with what looked like old blood. Candles were lit and placed everywhere with almost every surface stained with drops of wax. The floors were littered with hay and scraps of paper that displayed images from times long forgotten. At the back of the room was a stone wall that had three bunk beds pushed up to it with heaps of blankets scattered around. The only part of the room that didn't look like a complete mess was a corner that housed a large, elegant wardrobe cabinet that had various, intricate designs carved into it. As the group walked over to change their outfits, a figure stepped out from the darkness from the other side of the cabinet. The demonic-looking figure wore a tight, black suit that gleamed in the light of the candles that filled the room. The group stood back in utter surprise and fear at the figure. They did not realize the significance that this being had to them. Standing before the vampires was The First Evil appearing as the Master. 

"You know what they say", The Master said with an arrogant tone, "Organize your appearance and the mind will follow. Well, judging by your appearance; you're as weak minded as your prey." 

The leader of the group of vampires was a tall dark haired man, named Nathaniel, with piercing blue eyes and a cocky grin. He wore tight, light-blue jeans with chains that hung off the belt loops and a mock paint-splattered black shirt that read 'Bite Me'. 

"You came to the wrong place, creep", Nathaniel said with a thick southern accent and big grin on his face as the other members crowded around him. 

The Master walked over to the group and stood in front of them, stretching out his arms as he addressed them. "Brothers. Sisters. Let us not squabble", the Master said with a soft but confident voice, "I know what afflicts you. What keeps you scurrying around acting like humans just to earn a meal. I can help you find your way back to being the dominate member of the food chain." 

The group stood alert as Nathaniel walked over to meet the Master face to face. 

"Perhaps you didn't hear me with those little, nasty bat ears", Nathaniel said still maintaining his charismatic grin, "You're nothing but dead meat and bones at this point, creep." 

Nathaniel unsheathed his fangs and lunged at the Master only to pass right through him and fall down on the other side. 

The Master turned around and faced Nathaniel. "Ouch. Please stop. You're killing me", the Master said in a slow, sarcastic tone. 

The Master then turned around to face the rest of the group who were now slowly backing away. "Listen to me, children", the Master spoke as he calmly walked toward the retreating group, "I am not some creep you can push around. But I can help you make sense of things in this crazy world we live in." 

Nathaniel stood up and pulled a large knife out that he had hidden behind his shirt. 

"Life can be hard when you have hunters on your back", the Master continued speaking with his back turned to Nathaniel. "Keeping an ever watchful eye on our prey. We should not be forced to live off scraps, night after night. We should be up there hunting as we please", the Master gestured emphatically as he spoke, "while our prey toils in the dark. Broken and afraid." 

Nathaniel began walking toward the Master with the knife clutched in his hand and a scowl now replacing his cocky grin. 

"Oh, Nathaniel", the Master said in a soft tone, "Before you do something stupid again; let me tell you a secret I know. There are two hunters on their way here this very moment and tagging along, shortly, will be two...Slayers, the likes of which none of you can handle. To put it bluntly, you we all die horribly." 

Nathaniel re-holstered his knife causing the Master to smirk. 

"That's a good boy", the Master said with condescension as he turned to face Nathaniel, "Now do you want to live to see another night or shall I save myself a seat to watch the carnage? Popcorn, anyone?" 

Nathaniel walked towards the Master cautiously and held his hands together in front of him in order to maintain an confident and diplomatic posture.

"Alright", Nathaniel said with a hint of fear in his voice, "What do you want?" 

The Master raised his hand to his chest in a mock sign of pain. 

"You hurt my feelings, Nate", the Master said, "all I want is to preserve our race. Well, that...and maybe kill a couple of pesky Slayers while we're at it." 

Nathaniel looked at the Master in complete confusion. 

"What's a Slayer?" Nathaniel asked.

"Oh, my dear child", the Master said while turning to address the rest of the group, "They are horrible demon-girls that relentlessly pursue and destroy our kind. They have been a menace for over a millennia with no end in sight for their vicious reign. But now we have a chance to undo the wrongs that have been brought down upon us. Here we can make a stand and together we will rejoice in their blood." 

Nathaniel walked over to the rest of the group who were mumbling about hunters finding them. 

"Why should we even listen to you? I mean Slayers. Really?!" Nathaniel said while crossing his arms and frowning, "Plus, you say you're part of our kind but you don't look like any vampire I've ever seen." 

The Master smiled a broad, unnatural grin. Nathaniel looked noticeably disturbed by the Masters appearance. The Master looked down at his body then back at the vampires and laughed. 

"You know, Nate, you're absolutely right", the Master replied as he strolled over to the vampires turning into Buffy, "I'm not a vampire at all." 

The vampires gasped and stepped back as Nathaniel stood his ground with a shocked look on his face. 

"Wha-what are you?", Nathaniel uttered. 

Now standing face-to-face with Nathaniel, Buffy whispered, "I'm your salvation." 

Supernatural Dimension: Outskirts of Winnfield, LA 

The crisp morning sun ascended across the sky as Dean and Sam drove down a back road just outside of Winnfield. They were still on edge from the events at the motel. Sam was looking through a book of mystical creatures while Dean was at the wheel. 

"You found anything yet?", Dean asked with a deep, disgruntled tone. 

Sam flipped a page and looked up at Dean. 

"Well we could be dealing with some new form of Lamia", Sam said as he returned to the book and flipped through a few more pages. 

"Yeah, I don't think a bunch of wall shadows can appear as Dad and taunt us, Sammy", Dean retorted, "what about that thing it said about being the first evil." 

Sam closed the book. 

"No. There's nothing in any of these books about an originator of evil", Sam said as he opened the satchel of books sitting between his feet and slide the book he was holding inside. 

Just then Buffy and Faith appeared in the backseat of the Impala. Buffy still had her mouth open as her voice was still in mid-transition. Suddenly she let out, "...OW!" Dean let out an "Oh, shit!" as he slammed on the breaks sending the car careening back and forth before coming to a complete stop. Dean and Sam turned around with their guns drawn and faced their intruders. Both girls held their hands up. 

"Woah", Buffy let out in a surprised gasp, "We come in peace." 

While still holding his weapon in one hand, Dean reached around with his other hand and opened the driver-side door. 

"Alright, ladies", Dean said now retraining his weapon on Faith noticing the scythe in her lap, "out of the car and drop the..uh axe-thing." 

Faith got out of the car letting the scythe clang onto the pavement. Buffy slowly exited the vehicle as Sam followed her, grabbing the Slayers handbook from her hand and throwing it on the roof of the Impala. Holding their hands in the air, Buffy and Faith walked backwards to the rear of the car where Dean and Sam stepped in-between them and the Impala. The boys remained holding their weapons on the girls. 

"Alright", Dean said in a deep, angry tone, "I've had enough sudden drop-ins today. Tell me who are you working for? The demons? Huh?! Answer me?!" 

Buffy brought her hands down while Faith followed her lead. 

"Okay, just cool your jets. I'm Buffy and this is Faith", Buffy said gesturing as she spoke, "and we are vampire slayers who have traveled from another dimension to help you stop the very root of evil itself, The First Evil." 

Dean lowered his weapon with a dumbfounded look on his face; Sam remained holding his gun on the girls while giving Dean a look of confusion. Dean turned around to face the car and opened the trunk. Faith stood impatiently with her hand on her hip while Buffy crossed her arms across her chest. Dean pulled out a small bag and closed the trunk. Setting the bag on the Impala, Dean took out a small bottle of holy water and a silver knife.

"Here", Dean said holding out the items for Buffy and Faith. 

Buffy reached over and took the holy water while Faith took the knife. 

"What's this for?", Faith asked while she checked the blades sharpness with her finger, "You gonna make us fight to the death?"

Buffy sniffed the bottle.

"Holy water?", she said with a look of amusement, "Um...guys...we're not vampires. See we're in the sunlight and not bursting into fire or anything." 

Dean gave Sam a wide-eyed look. 

"Cut yourselves and pour the water on your skin", Dean said now pointing his gun on the girls, "we need to see what kind of monster you are." 

Faith took the knife to her hand. 

"Fine", she said in a disgruntled tone as she cut into her palm. 

Faith then handed the knife to Buffy who had just sprinkled holy water on her arm. They switched items and completed the request Dean gave them. They handed the items back to Dean.

Looking at the cuts and lack of singe marks from the holy water, Dean took the items and put them back in the bag. He then strolled over to the scythe and picked it up. Sam put his gun in his coat and picked up the Slayer handbook from the roof. 

"So what's going on here?", Dean said with a serious demeanor while examining the scythe, "you said you're here to stop the First Evil?"

"Yes, like I said", Buffy recalled with a slight impatience to her tone, "we are Slayers from another dime-" 

"Yeah, I heard ya the first time", Dean interrupted, "Now tell me why this 'First' guy is running around with my Dad's face?" 

Sam looked up from reading the Slayer's handbook. 

"Okay", Buffy said taking a deep breath, "The First Evil is the literal personification of evil itself. It is incorporeal...which means-"

"I know what incorporeal means", Dean stated angrily. 

"Well then. Seeing as it can't touch anything, it uses other tricks like turning into dead people and taunting you", Buffy said as she looked over at Faith. 

"The thing is, Dean, if the First appears to you...it means you're a major player in its nasty little game", Faith said while giving him a seductive look. 

Dean noticed and shifted to a more attractive posture. 

"Dean", Sam said while closing the Slayer's handbook, "I think they're telling the truth. This thing is filled with all kinds of lore I've never even heard of plus it has firsthand accounts of fights with vampires and these girls called Slayers. Plus, I found this." 

Sam held out the picture of Dean and Sam. 

"That doesn't look anything like me", Dean said examining the picture, "Let me see that book."

Dean looked at the book. 

"Come on, Sam. Really?!", Dean said in a tone of mockery, "The word vampire is misspelled and you got it from a chick named 'Buffy'." 

Sam rolled his eyes and took the book. Sam then walked over and gave the book back to Buffy. 

"Sorry for the cutting and the holy water, but we can't take any chances. Not with what we've been through", Sam said extending his hand, "I'm Sam Winchester and this is my brother Dean."

Buffy shook Sam's hand while Faith walked over to Dean. 

"You're both coming with us until we can get this whole 'First' Evil business sorted out", Dean said now looking over at Faith.

"So, D", Faith said looking him over, head-to-toe, "are we five-by-five or do you need to frisk me." 

Faith held her arms up in the air. Dean was slightly embarrassed but remained steady. 

"Well, from what I can see, you definitely aren't hiding much", Dean said giving her body a long, slow scan with his eyes. 

Faith brought her hands down on his shoulders. 

"Well, D", Faith whispered in a sensual voice as she inched closer to Deans face, "from what I can see, neither are you." 

Faith strode around Dean pulling the scythe from his hand as she went by and entered the car. Dean looked over and noticed Buffy and Sam staring at him with amusement on their faces.

Dean turned toward the car.

"And don't call me D", Dean yelled as Faith laughed on the inside of the car. 

Sam and Buffy had begun laughing too. 

"You know, Dean, the more you fight the single-letter nickname, the more she's gonna lay it on", Buffy said as she giggled. 

Dean had a look of embarrassment mixed with anger. 

"Sam! Get in the car. Let's go!", Dean yelled as he got in the driver seat of the Impala. 

Sam and Buffy entered the vehicle and the group continued toward Winnfield.


	2. A Match Made In Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The First visits Crowley. Dean, Sam, Buffy, and Faith head to the Vampire Nest.

Supernatural Dimension: Hell

Inside a large room made to look like a courtyard, Crowley, who was wearing his usual dark attire complete with a black coat, black pants, and black shoes, stood next to a large pair of red satin curtains that were concealed behind a lattice positioned between a large, white columned-archway. Crowley grabbed the lattice and yanked it off, exposing the curtains behind it. As he held the curtains in one hand, his other hand slowly caressed the fabric. A figure stepped behind Crowley and let out a small but dignified cough to get his attention. 

"What is it, Rennis?", Crowley said in a slightly annoyed tone, "Can't you see I'm in the middle of redecorating?"

Rennis, the Liaison to Hell, was a demon inhabiting the body of a tall British man with long, black, wet-looking hair that was combed back, and glistening blue eyes. He wore a black suit with a baby-blue tie and sleek, pointed dress shoes. He straightened his cuff-links as he spoke.

"What are you doing here?", Rennis uttered in a deep but soft British accent.

Crowley remained looking at the curtains as he tugged on the tassels that dangled on each side in an attempt to pull them open. 

"I just told you", Crowley said in a more distant manner, "I'm redecorating."

Rennis stopped messing with his suit and put his hands behind his back giving himself a more regal appearance. 

"So, am I to assume that you have usurped Lucifer's throne?", Rennis asked in a condescending tone, "Personally, I don't see you as the ruling type, even with the misnomer of 'King of the Crossroads'." 

Crowley let go of the curtains and finally turned around to acknowledge Rennis. 

"No one said anything about being a ruler", Crowley said with a sly grin, "It just means I'm number one and everyone else is...well, not." 

Rennis rolled his eyes and then shook his head. 

"Besides, I've been meaning to drop that whole 'crossroads' angle for a much better title", Crowley said as he gestured with his hands, "How's 'King of Hell' sound?"

"Delusional", Rennis said with a snarky tone as he folded his arms across his chest.

Crowley let a tiny smug grin cross his lips before turning his attention to the curtains again. He reached up, grabbing a large swath of the fabric and gave it a quick, hard tug. The rod holding the curtains up broke, causing them to come crashing down to the ground revealing a message carved into the stone wall. The message read: "Our Father Who Art In Heaven" with a thick smear of dried blood across the word 'Father'.

"I knew it!", Crowley proclaimed, "Ol' Luci's just a poor emo kid pouting about not gettin' enough love from Daddy." 

Rennis looked around the courtyard at the other walls where Crowley had ripped down the curtains revealing scriptures from the Lord's Prayer. Phrases such as "Hallowed Be Thy Name" and "Thy Kingdom Come" were all scratched into the stone with large, bloody streaks running through them. 

"And you call me delusional", Crowley said in a low tone as Rennis refocused his attention on the self-proclaimed 'King of Hell'

"Well, regardless of what you call yourself", Rennis declared as he pointed his long finger at Crowley, "You will not interfere with the operations of Hell. Agreed?"

Rennis extended his hand out for Crowley to shake.

"Now, Rennis", Crowley uttered in a scolding tone, ignoring the extended hand, "You should know your place. I'm the king, so that makes you my servant. I will do with Hell what I please, when I please. Agreed?"

Crowley thrust his hands into his coat pockets. 

Rennis' eyes turned black as he stepped up to the noticeably shorter Crowley and grabbed him by the coat. Just then a figured walked into the room from the entrance archway. It was the First appearing as Mayor Richard Wilkins III wearing a dark gray suit with a maroon tie. 

"Golly, this place sure is a mess", the Mayor said with a smile as he surveyed the broken archways and piles of curtains, "Is this the famed H-E-double hockey sticks I've heard so much about? Because I've gotta tell you, gentlemen, I am not impressed." 

Rennis looked over at the intruder and let go of Crowley. While fixing his rumpled coat, Crowley gave the intruder a wide-eyed stare.

"I don't recall inviting you to my inauguration", Crowley said now pushing Rennis aside as he strolled over to their new guest, "This is strictly an A-B conversation so if you wouldn't mind getting the F out."

The Mayor stopped grinning and let a scowl creep across his face.

"You watch that language, little man", the Mayor said as he pointed a scolding finger at Crowley, "You fancy yourself a king, but your subjects need a leader with morals. Someone they can look up to. You, sir, are not a very good role model. But that's okay, we all need something to improve about ourselves or life just wouldn't be worth living."

Crowley looked at the Mayor with utter contempt. Rennis walked over to address the situation.

"Who are you?", Rennis said in a calm manner.

The Mayor turned his attention to Rennis while bumping his open palm on his head.

"Doggone-it. Where are my manners?", the Mayor proclaimed as he stretched out his arm to shake hands, "Hi. I'm Mayor Richard Wilkins. Pleased to meet you."

Rennis extended his arm to return the gesture but passed right through the Mayor's hand. 

"Oh shoot", the Mayor said with disappointment, "I always forget about that. It makes sealing business deals so hard. You know what I mean?"

Crowley and Rennis both took a step back.

"What kind of beastie are you?", Crowley said as he scanned the Mayors body.

"Now gentlemen, there's no need to be alarmed", the Mayor declared as he held his hands up, "I mean, we're all monsters here, aren't we?" 

Crowley and Rennis shared a concerned look before looking back at the Mayor.

"Alright then, Mayor Dick", Crowley stated in a cocky tone, "What is a fine, politically-inclined monster such as yourself doing in our neck of the woods?"

The Mayor looked noticeably uncomfortable at the mention of the name Dick.

"I'm going to let that one slide because I'm not here to teach you about manners. Although, someone should", the Mayor said as he put his hands in his pants pockets letting his thumbs rest on the sides, " I'm here to offer you the heads of Sam and Dean Winchester on a silver platter."

Crowley pulled his hands from his pockets.

"Bold statement", Crowley moved his hand in a maneuver to throw the Mayor against the wall using his demonic telekinesis. It did nothing. 

The Mayor pulled his hands from his pockets in order to gesture as he spoke.

"Now, you'll find that nothing you can do will harm me. It's just one of the perks of being an incorporeal being", the Mayor said with a big grin, "but, hey, I'll give you points for effort."

Crowley crossed his arms and let out a sigh of boredom as he cocked his head. 

"You've officially worn out your welcome", Rennis uttered as he extended his arm towards the door with an open palm, "It's time to go."

"Alright, alright. Enough horseplay. Let's get down to the brass tacks", the Mayor declared as he clapped his hands together.

Rennis walked over to Crowley and stood next to him. Crowley shot Rennis a 'what the hell' look as he took a step away from the Liaison. Crowley then turned his attention back to the Mayor.

"Okay. What's your angle?", Crowley said in a smug tone, "Are you a disgruntled ghosty lookin' to settle a score or what?" 

"I assure you, I am not some vengeful specter, just a simple, small-town Mayor", the Mayor proclaimed as he paced back and forth, "who happens to be offering you a front row seat to see the Winchesters untimely demise." 

Crowley produced a wide smile as he rubbed the stubble on his chin.

"What? Out of the kindness of your little beastie heart?", Crowley asked with a strong tone of sarcasm.

"Oh, no. I don't have a heart that I'm aware of", the Mayor said as he looked down at his chest and then back at Crowley, "I need help from someone with your particular talents, especially if we are going to set this thing off without a hitch." 

"What thing?", Crowley inquired.

"Well, gosh...the end of the world, of course", the Mayor said with a slight giggle at the end.

Rennis looked at Crowley with an angry look. Crowley ignored him. The Liaison to Hell then turned to the Mayor and opened his mouth to speak. Crowley interrupted. 

"And what about the Winchesters?", Crowley asked in a curious manner.

"Like I said", the Mayor recalled, "The arrangements have already been made, I just wanted to make sure to personally invite you to the show." 

"And why does this all sound too good to be true?", Crowley inquired as he scanned the Mayor's face for any twitch that might indicate a lie. 

"Because it is", Rennis bellowed while turning away from the Mayor to confront Crowley, "This whole nonsense is absurd. I cannot believe you would stand here and even listen to it."

Crowley patted Rennis on the shoulder. Rennis brushed his hand away. 

"Now, now, Rennis. You're being rude to our guest", Crowley said looking over at the grinning Mayor, "This Wilkins fellow has me intrigued."

Crowley went over and stood in front the Mayor looking him in the eye.

"I suppose you're a man who doesn't take no for an answer", Crowley said with a confident smirk, "So I'll indulge this little plan of yours, but only on my terms. Got it?"

"So it's settled then", the Mayor said clasping his hands together in a gesture of victory, "I show you the deaths of a lifetime and you help me conquer this pathetic, dark little world. Okay?"

Crowley began walking towards the archway to exit. 

"First things first", Crowley proclaimed as he walked out, "The Winchester's heads. Then we'll talk about this apocalypse business."

"Alright then, Mr. Crowley. We'll play it your way. For now", the Mayor said following Crowley out.

Rennis watched as they left and uttered a heavy sigh as he looked around at the mess Crowley had made.

 

Supernatural Dimension: Winnfield, LA

 

As the Impala roared down a road into Winnfield, the group were talking to each other about what the boys did as hunters and what a Slayer was.

"So, you're whole life is just devoted to running around killing monsters", Dean said as he steered the car onto the main road, "That sounds familiar. Ay, Sammy?"

Sam was turned slightly as he sat in order to see the girls while his arm rested on the seat. He acknowledged Dean with a nod before returning to the conversation with Buffy and Faith.

"You said that there is only one Slayer in the world at a time", Sam asked looking over at Faith, "So why are there two of you?" 

"Really? Only one at a time?", Dean interjected, "that's criminally inefficient in an entire world full of monsters and demons."

"Right", Faith said in a long drawn out tone, "And your world's safety rests in the hands of two brothers who drive everywhere. Guess the people on every other continent are doomed." 

"We're not the only hunters out there, sweetheart", Dean scoffed.

"And, as you can see, there's more than one Slayer", Faith retorted, "Heck, we have a whole army of potentials turned full-fledged Slayers if we could just keep the military off our backs."

The car became utterly silent. After a moment, Sam broke the silence.

"We were wanted by the FBI at one point, so we know how it feels to be on the run", Sam said looking at Buffy with a comforting look. 

"Thank you, Sam", Buffy said loudly as she looked at Dean, "You're much more sympathetic than your brother."

"Yeah. We think he has a medical condition", Dean replied with a cocky grin. 

"Anyway", Buffy said going back to the original conversation, "It's kind of a long story."

Faith looked over at Buffy and shook her head. 

"Look", Faith said holding up her fingers for each point, "She died. Came back. Kendra was called. She died. I was called. And here we are. Boom."

Faith made a gesture of dropping a microphone. Sam smiled.

"You've only died twice", Sam said looking over at Buffy.

Buffy and Faith looked at each other and then back at Sam.

"Only?", Buffy and Faith said in unison. 

"I'm just meant, in our line of work", Sam explained, "We tend to...you know, die a lot."

Buffy and Faith looked perplexed by Sam's comment.

"Yes, ladies", Dean retorted sounding like an announcer, "You're looking at two guys who've died and came-back more times than Kenny."

The girls looked at Dean with vacant expressions.

"You know", Dean said trying to explain, "South Park? The little kid in the orange jacket? He keeps dying but in each episode he comes back. Come on. It's a TV show."

"I...don't think we get that show in our dimension", Buffy said as she looked over at Faith. 

Faith shrugged her shoulders. 

"Wait!", Sam exclaimed as a thought crossed his mind, "That's why all this sounds familiar. I think I've seen a TV show about a girl who fights vampires."

"Yeah, sounds like something you'd watch", Dean said in a sarcastic tone. 

"Oh, okay. Cause Smallville was such a great show", Sam retorted.

"It had its moments, Sam. It had its moments", Dean replied with confidence.

"I sure hope my life story isn't a TV show for people to gawk at", Buffy said looking around to check for hidden cameras.

"Yeah, besides", Faith stated, "If there was a show about us, I'd be the star, anyway."

Buffy gave Faith a look of disdain while shaking her head slightly to signify a soft 'no'.

Dean slowed the Impala, and turned into a diner called 'Gator Skins' in order to refresh before the hunt. The group strolled inside and found seats near the door. Buffy and Faith sat on one end of the booth while Sam and Dean sat together on the other. They all picked up the menus laying on the table. The waitress, a short, mild-aged woman with a warm smile and messy brown hair rolled up in a bun, sauntered over to the table in order to accommodate the new customers. 

"How's everyone? My name's Tammy", the waitress said in a pleasant manner, "Our specials today are the gumbo or our famous burger the chef nicknamed 'Heaven'."

Dean let a smile cross his face as he looked around at everyone at the table. 

"Well, Tammy", Dean said laying down his menu, "I think I'll take that trip to Heaven with some chili-cheese fries."

"Alright. One Heaven burger. Chili fries.", Tammy muttered as she wrote on her order pad, "And what do you guys want?"

Tammy looked at Buffy and Sam noticing Faith was still reading her menu.

"Salad", Buffy and Sam said in unison.

They glanced at each with a pleased look of surprise.

"Alright. Two Grass Plates. Don't worry honey, it's just a nickname", Tammy stated noticing their concerned looks over the title, "And what will you have, young lady?"

"Uh, yeah", Faith said looking up from her menu, "What exactly comes with the gator skins? It's not actually alligator skin is it?"

"Oh, lord no, child", Tammy proclaimed with a shocked look, "It's just a basket of gator bits and tater skins."

"Oh", Faith said closing her menu, "Then I'll have that. Gimme the large basket."

Dean looked over a Faith with an impressed look. She turned and looked at Dean.

"What?", Faith inquired, "A girl's gotta eat."

After their food arrived, the group began discussing the plan of action but the conversation became focused on the events of Sunnydale. Buffy regaled them with the story of how she died at the hands of the Master, the subsequent events that led to Faith arriving, and the details concerning her second death involving the portal and Glory. Dean had been so enthralled he had forgotten to take a bite of his burger. 

"Oh, man", Dean let out after sinking into his meal, "I've gotta tell ya, girls. This burger is better than the real Heaven. And I ought to know, I've been there."

Sam shook his head as he dug into his salad. Buffy looked at Dean inquisitively.

"So on these continual outings you have with death, you've experienced Heaven?", Buffy asked.

Dean nodded and uttered "Yep" with a full mouth of burger. 

"We actually went there several times but only remember the one occasion", Sam recalled, "we were on a mission from an angel to find God."

Buffy and Faith stopped eating and gave Sam an open-mouth stare.

"You have angels here?", Buffy asked with an intrigued expression, "Like with halos and wings?"

"No", Dean uttered confidently, "Their dicks with superiority complexes and Daddy issues. You guys have demons, right? You mean to tell me, you don't have angels too?"

"They're not those kind of demons", Buffy corrected. 

"We have one Angel", Faith revealed, "but he's less of a harp player more of a stalk the night, drink your blood type."

"Man", Buffy uttered, "I wish I could have cool adventures like that. You guys make my battles seem kinda lame. I mean, I think I've been to Heaven but I wasn't on a holy mission or anything. Just me being dead."

Dean looked slightly disturbed by that Buffy's comments.

"Our lives are rarely anywhere near what you would call an adventure. I mean, I sold my soul to a demon to bring back my dead brother", Dean revealed as he looked over at Sam, "and then I went to Hell when the contract was up. I sure wouldn't call that an adventure. Just gut-wrenching torture and misery. And then after being drug through shit, day after day we find out that divine intervention has been guiding our whole lives since the beginning of time. I was supposed to the vessel for the archangel Michael while Sam here was being groomed into the vessel for...get this...Lucifer. That's right, Satan himself. Luckily a kid, who's the freakin' Anti-Christ, agreed to help us and slammed those two dicks in the Cage. So now, here we are just trying to pick up the pieces of our shattered lives and carry on. Does that sound like fun and adventure to you?"

"I didn't mean...", Buffy began to say as she let her voice trail off.

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Dean held his burger for a long time thinking about his rant. He started to feel embarrassed about getting so worked up. 

Faith looked around at everyone's uncomfortable behavior and decided to lighten the mood.

"Don't sweat it, D", Faith said as she swallowed a mouth full of food, "We've all got problems. I was once the right-hand woman for our evil town mayor and B here, stabbed her lover in the chest with a sword in order to close a portal to a hell dimension. It's just part of the game." 

Dean eased up after that comment and Sam patted him on the shoulder giving him a look of content. 

"So, Faith", Dean said, "Where were you during the Hell-God, drama queen showdown?"

Faith was popping the last few pieces of gator in her mouth as she looked over at Dean.

"Prison", Faith uttered as she grabbed her napkin, "For murder."

Dean choked on the piece of burger in his mouth. 

"I'm sorry", Dean said in a raspy voice, "Did you say, murder?"

Faith smiled as she drank the last remnants of her soda.

"Yep" Faith replied, "It was a tragic accident, but I served my time...sort of."

Dean gave Faith a disconcerting look before turning his attention to the rest of the diner. He suddenly realized that he had not seen the waitress during their entire meal. He looked down at his watch. Sam noticed Dean's concerning demeanor.

"What is it Dean?", Sam inquired with a quiet tone.

"Tammy hasn't come by our table in over forty minutes", Dean replied, "I mean she should've been walking by every five minutes asking if we're alright. I haven't even been offered pie."

Sam glanced around and noticed that the cook was not in the opening that connected the order station to the kitchen. The boys felt something was wrong. The girls sensed it too. Pulling out their guns, Dean and Sam got up from the table.

"What's going on?", Buffy questioned as she reached for the knife that came with her silverware. 

Faith pulled out a dagger she had hidden behind her. 

The group slowly walked into the kitchen where they made a grisly discovery. There laying face down on the grill was the chef. His neck had a bite mark on it and his skin was pale from what appeared to be extreme blood loss. His face was being cooked by the burners which sent a sickly sweet, burning aroma into the air. Dean reached over and inspected the body as he pulled it off the grill station. 

"Damn it, Sam", Dean growled as he viewed the bite marks, "Its vampires."

Dean looked up at the girls as Sam walked past them to inspect the rest of the kitchen for Tammy.

"Alright", Dean said standing up to look the two Slayers in the eyes, "I didn't want to say anything until we knew for sure but ladies we're hunting vampires."

Buffy and Faith gave an unimpressed look as their posture softened.

"Okay", Faith uttered, So?"

"Look", Dean said dropping all his flirtatious movements with Faith, "These aren't what you're used to, okay? These things can make you a vampire just by getting a little bit of blood into your system. No suck-and-swap needed. They're dangerous. And all that crap you said about killing vampires with stakes through the heart and holy water ain't gonna fly here. You've gotta cut their heads off. Plain and simple."

"Dean", Sam yelled from the back of the kitchen, "We've got a problem."

Dean, Buffy, And Faith ran to the back of the kitchen and found Sam standing next to the open backdoor holding a note in his hand. He handed the note to Dean. It read: Don't worry, Dean. Meal's on us. Want your waitress back? Come to the barn and get her. Bring the Slayer bitches too. Center of Elder Ridge Road. Go west. 2 miles. Dean crumpled the paper and threw it on the open flames of the burners. Sam walked out the door. 

"What is it?", Buffy said as she saw the look on Dean's face.

"They knew we were here for them", Dean uttered in a tone of disbelief, "And they knew you were with us."

Buffy's demeanor changed from concerned to angry.

"The First", Buffy said with rage in her voice, "It told them we were coming."

"How can it know that?", Dean asked, "You just got here."

"It can be anywhere, at any time and we wouldn't even know it", Buffy revealed with a grim tone, "It can even stand here and talk to you without us seeing it."

"Yeah", Faith affirmed with a pensive look, "And just being around it can give you the shakes. I mean I've seen some major scary shit, but this thing knows everything you know, think, and feel."

"Great", Dean replied in a frustrated manner, "And you said it mimics people who've died. So, does that mean only dead people? Or can it imitate people who've been resurrected too?"

"If you've died at all, even for a second, it can wear your face like an evil cosplayer", Buffy declared. 

Dean looked at Buffy with a grimace. 

"Well", Faith uttered, "I guess that means I'm not a part of the First's wardrobe. You're good, B, but you only put me down for a nap."

Sam stepped up to the group after checking around outside. Dean reached over and pinched Sam on the arm. 

"Ouch", Sam exclaimed as he rubbed his arm, "What was that for?"

"Apparently", Dean said poking Sam on the arm, "The First can look like anyone whose kicked the bucket. Even resurrectees such as ourselves. I'm just making sure you're who you're supposed to be."

Sam slapped away Deans hand. 

"I was outside. I found out they sped away in vehicle", Sam said with dismay, "there's a woman across the street talking to the police about two men wrapped in blankets stealing her car."

Dean began walking toward the front of the diner.

"Come on", Dean yelled in an urgent tone, "the police are here, we need to go."

The group jumped into the Impala and drove away from the scene. After four hours of searching and a few locals later, they found the road that was described in the note. They had looked up the road on modern maps, but could not find it. It turned out to be an abandoned highway that connected settlements during the late 1800s. Trees covered both sides of the dirt road and swamp waters randomly dotted the area providing an overall sinister atmosphere. 

The group looked around the area but didn't see any signs of a car or a path. Dean finally found a little dip in the woods that was blocked from the road by tall bushes. Dean backed the Impala into position and parked. The group exited the vehicle. Dean walked over to a nearby tree and broke off a large branch. He took the leafy branch and laid it in front of the Impala in order to disguise it. 

Dean laughed as he looked over at the car. 

"Hey", Dean exclaimed, "It's like we're hidin' the DeLorean. You, know. Like in Back to the Future."

Sam shook his head as he opened the trunk to get the machetes. He handed one to Buffy.

"I don't know about all that", Faith said looking at Dean, "But it looks like where we're going, we don't need roads."

Dean smiled and held his hands up to his chest near his heart. 

"The woman of my dreams", Dean uttered, "a sexy badass who enjoys the 'classics'."

"I never said I enjoyed it', Faith said as she went to pull the scythe out from the back seat. 

Faith bent over slowly and reached in, mock-fumbling as she grabbed the scythe in order to take more time. She cocked her head in order to see Dean giving a long, salivating look at her behind. She smiled as she stood up and slammed the car door bringing Dean back to reality. 

"Um...let's...let's go", Dean stuttered walking toward the woods.

The group headed toward the west as Dean looked down at his compass. The Sun was beginning its downward descent into late afternoon. They had been walking for sometime before they came across a large clearing with a dilapidated barn and a swath of land to the right that was covered in swamp. The group stopped at the edge of the woods to assess the situation. 

"So, what's the plan?", Buffy said looking over at Dean who was staring toward the barn.

"There's not a lot of light left", Dean uttered as he turned his gaze toward the sky," We should go in there now, before nightfall."

Sam looked toward the barn with a pensive stare. 

"I don't think that's a good idea, Dean", Sam said as he looked down at his machete, "We don't even know how many of them there are."

Dean looked over at Buffy and Faith. 

"We can handle this, Sam", Dean exclaimed, "We have to help that waitress, plus we have two 'Vampire Slayers' with us. Those fanged dicks are going down."

"Let's just go, already", Faith said as she strolled past the group toward the barn. 

Dean and Sam shared concerned look as the quickly followed behind her. Buffy stopped and looked around behind them. She felt like they were being watched. As the group drew closer to the barn, they surveyed their surroundings. There wasn't a car or a path leading to the barn. They crept up to the entrance and bent down to look inside. Faith paced around behind them, swinging the scythe as she walked. 

"So we're all in agreement that this is a trap, right?", Buffy stated as she peered into the dimly lit barn. 

"Well", Dean uttered as he squinted into the darkness, "There's not much we can do about it."

Suddenly deep in the barn they heard a woman screaming. Dean, Buffy, And Sam dove under the broken entranceway and entered the caved-in barn. They searched around as they heard another scream. The sound was coming from below them. Sam looked down and saw the trap door at the back of the barn.

"Guys", Sam yelled out, "Over here."

Sam lifted the door and saw the stairs leading down underneath the barn. Dean ran over as Buffy turned around to Faith who was crouching at the entranceway. 

"Watch our backs", Buffy shouted as she turned back to the hole in the floor.

Dean, Buffy, and Sam walked cautiously down the stairs. It was near pitch-black in the basement and the only light that they could see was sneaking through the cracks in the ceiling above. 

"We should have brought flashlights", Dean said as he tried to focus in the dark.

They looked around seeing the shelves and the bunk beds in the back of the room. Upon spotting the cabinet in the corner, Dean began walking over to inspect it. He threw it open. The cabinet was empty. Just hangers dangling on a rod. Inside was a note that said: 'Gotcha'. Just then a loud thud came from the top of the stairs. The door to the topside of the barn had been slammed shut. Buffy ran up the stairs and pushed on the door. It was locked. 

"Faith!", Buffy screamed as she tried hitting the door with the side of her fist. 

Sam heard a tinkling behind him, coming from the jars on the shelves. Sam pulled out his machete and walked toward the sound. As he rounded the shelve, Sam found a startling sight. The waitress from the diner was laying on the ground. Sam checked her body. 

"Dean. Buffy", Sam called out, "I found the waitress. She's dead."

Dean and Buffy walked over to Sam who was crouched on the floor inspecting the body. 

"It looks like she's been dead for a few hours", Sam said with a noticeable look of concern, "She couldn't have been the one who screamed out to us."

A jar from the shelves came crashing to the ground on the other side of the room. A growl permeated the darkness. In a blur of motion, a figure stepped out of the shadows and then suddenly disappeared. The group realized that they weren't alone in the basement. Dean and Sam started stepping back as Buffy looked around to see where their stalker had gone. She looked at Sam and Dean who were frantically checking their pockets.

"Shit!", Dean yelled as he finished searching his jacket and began feeling around his pants pockets, "I don't have my lighter on me. Sam?"

"I only have matches", Sam uttered in disappointment.

"That'll have to do", Dean growled as he took the box of matches from Sam's hand. 

"What is it?", Buffy inquired with a stony confidence in her voice, "What are we dealing with?"

Dean turned to Buffy with a frown becoming his dominant feature.

"It's something we didn't prepare for", Dean revealed in a deep quiet tone as his eyes scanned the room, "It's a damn Wendigo."


	3. It's A Trap!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon realizing the severity of their predicament, Buffy, Dean, and Sam must face down a Wendigo.

Supernatural Dimension: Outside the Vampire Nest 

As the sun began inching towards the tree line, signaling its inevitable descent into darkness, Crowley suddenly appeared on a piece of land surrounded by water many yards away from the barn. He stood behind dense shrubbery that hid him from sight as he stared out towards the farm building. Two vampires were pulling Faith out from under the entranceway. She appeared to be unconscious. 

Crowley heard a quiet, hissing sound coming from behind him. He turned to see an 8-foot alligator that had crawled ashore next to him. Crowley looked down at it and flashed his red eyes. The alligator quickly turned around and dashed back into the water. He returned to his natural eye color. As he refocused his attention to the barn, he noticed the Mayor standing on the edge of the hummock looking over at the vampires holding Faith. 

"I sure hope they go easy on my Faith", the Mayor said as he saw four vampires now standing over her body.

"Sorry to be the one to tell you this, Dick, but they're probably gonna hack her to pieces and feast on the gooey bits that flow out", Crowley uttered without a hint of care, "That's odd, though. The Winchesters usually don't bring their sexual conquests along...but who am I to judge?" 

The Mayor shook his head.

"You should watch the way you talk about that young lady", the Mayor said while fighting back rage, "She's a Slayer and damn good one at that. She could take out those two Winchester brats and you on her worst day. You show her some darn respect." 

Crowley had a look of confusion mixed with utter indifference.

"You didn't strike me as the cradle-robbing type ", Crowley said with a snarky tone, "Or even the caring sort, for that matter. Whatever happened to not having a heart?"

The Mayor placed his palm on his forehead and let out sigh. 

"Gosh darn it", the Mayor said while putting his hands on his hips in frustration, "You know what it is? I've been in this form for too long. I'm starting to think like that demon-obsessed nitwit. I think it's time I slip into something a little more...sinister."

The First turned into Crowley while walking toward the real one.

"Nothing gets a lass all hot and bothered like telling them you're a king, ay Fergus?", the First stated with a wide smirk and a wink. 

Crowley gave the mock-copy a long, slow look and then smiled.

"Is this supposed to make me all hot and bothered?", Crowley asked as he walked around the First, "I mean, it's kinda hard to make a narcissist quiver in his booties with that sorta ruse."

The First looked at Crowley with an increasing intensity as it listened to the King of Hell blather on. 

"But that's not even the half of it, is it?", Crowley continued as he stopped in front of the First, "I can feel you tryin' to get at me- you know, that voodoo you do so well -so it's quite obvious you're not some spook or beastie or any type of monstrosity of this Earth. You're something far more devious than your average villain of the week. So, tell me, dear me, what exactly are you?"

"You are starting to become more annoying than your worth", the First replied still appearing as Crowley, "So I will make this brief. I am evil. True evil. I am impurity at its finest. Corruption and misery are to me as a draw of breath on a mortal's lips. I am the First Evil. You think ruling Hell gives you power but you have never witnessed real power."  
The First looked at Crowley scornfully before tilting its head back in revelation.

"You're not all you're cracked up to be, are ya, Fergus? I see it written all over that pudgy little face. I know what you fear above all else. What all men with the slightest bit of power fear", the First said just before turning into Nick as he appeared while possessed by Lucifer, "Losing that power."

Crowley looked noticeably uncomfortable but remained standing with a somewhat confident posture. He cast an arrogant grin across his face to hide his uneasiness. 

"Really?", Crowley uttered scornfully, "You could be walking around here as me but instead you go the cliché route. I'm disappointed."

"So, this form doesn't make you...unsettled, then?", Lucifer asked in a soft, sympathetic tone.

"Well", Crowley stated in a lower tone, "Its better the devil you know than the one you don't, I suppose." 

"Good", Lucifer said with the tiniest of smirks peaking at the corners of his mouth, "Now then, enough with the semantics. Let's go see what trouble those Winchesters have gotten into this time, shall we?"

Crowley looked perplexed.

"What? Am I supposed to just pop in there all willy-nilly?", Crowley asked in frustration, "I'll immediately be seen by those two moronic brothers." 

"You need to be positive and good things will happen for you", Lucifer proclaimed as he walked up to Crowley, "Here, I am just going to initiate a slight merge so they won't see you. Okay?"

Without giving Crowley time to react, Lucifer reached his hand inside Crowley's head and began merging with his mind. Red and orange strands of light sparked from his fingers. Crowley winced in pain as his eyes turned black. He then slumped a bit in his posture and began glaring at the barn with a distant stare. The First and Crowley were now standing in the basement watching Dean, Buffy, and Sam as they were engaging the Wendigo. 

"A Wendigo? Okay", Buffy asked as she saw a blur move past the corner of the room, "How do we kill it?"

Dean turned toward a creaking noise coming from the right side of them.

"Fire. And lots of it.", Dean said as he picked up a large candle laying on a shelve, "Best we got right now is a damn box of matches." 

Dean struck the match against the ignition strip, setting it aflame. Just as he went to light the candle, a whooshing noise came from behind him as he suddenly felt a clawed hand grasp around his shoulder. The Wendigo picked up Dean in one swift motion and threw him against the wall on the other side of the room. 

Sam turned and swung his machete at the Wendigo. Before the blade even made half a revolution, the creature lunged forward and tackled Sam. As he was being shoved backwards, Buffy swung her machete with a downward thrust, striking the Wendigo on the arm. It let out an unbridled squeal of agony right before spinning around to kick Buffy in the stomach. She flew into a row of shelves causing the wood to splinter and broke as she traveled through them. The First and Crowley watched the events with eager looks of amusement as the three struggled to get back on their feet. 

"Where the hell did you get a Wendigo this far south?", Crowley asked keeping his eyes on the scuffle.

"Oh, you'd be surprised by the things you can find in the swamp", Lucifer revealed, "the trick was getting it into the basement."

"How did you-", Before Crowley could finish his question, Sam came hurdling right through them after being thrown by the Wendigo. 

"Well that's annoying", Crowley uttered looking down at his ankles as his feet were hidden by Sam's body.

Sam jumped up in time to see the Wendigo charging for Dean. Running for his brother, Sam suddenly had to duck as Dean went flying over his head. He landed on the stone ground with a hard grunt. Sam turned back to see the Wendigo now staring him in the face. Just as the snarling black monster reached out to grab Sam, Buffy jumped into the air and landed a kick, sending the creature hurtling towards the bunk beds at the back of the room. Sam and Buffy quickly ran over and picked up a large gray blanket on the ground that was covered in bits of hay. While holding up each end of the blanket, Sam and Buffy charged at the dazed monster. 

"Dean", Sam yelled to his brother who was struggling to regain his balance, "We need that candle. 

Dean nodded in a woozy reply as he looked around with a wide-eyed expression of befuddlement. He reached over a picked up the slightly squashed candle he had dropped earlier and began lighting one of the matches. Sam and Buffy wrapped the Wendigo in the blanket. Buffy grabbed the beast by the head and thrust her knee into its face. The creature fell back into the bunk bed just as Dean walked up. Buffy, Dean, and Sam stood over the defeated creature. 

"Sweet dreams, you son of a bitch", Dean said as he dropped the candle on the blanket. 

In a matter of seconds, the blanket erupted in flames as the Wendigo attempted to tear its way out. The beast was quickly engulfed as it writhed and screamed. The group watched as the Wendigo burst into a massive glow of fire as it steadily burned down to mere embers and ashes. 

Crowley gazed upon the sight with a look of annoyance.

"I knew all this bluster was a waste of my time", Crowley said looking over at the First who still appeared as Lucifer, "Now, if you would, take those brimstone soaked fingers outta my skull. I'd like to get back to my home sweet Hell."

Lucifer gave Crowley a cold look before turning his attention back to the group.

"Patience", Lucifer uttered with tiny smirk curling up his lip, "One way or another. They'll die."

As Dean bent down to pick up his machete from the ground, the Wendigo's embers began igniting the sheets of the bunk bed. Within the blink of an eye, a small flame erupted from the middle of the ashes that grew as it consumed the mattress. Buffy and Sam stepped back from the bed as the wooden frame became the next victim of the insatiable flame. 

"Guys, like this whole place is made of ancient wood", Buffy said as she looked around at the fire's potential paths, "We need to get that door open."

Dean, Buffy, and Sam ran towards the stairs and up to the door as the other bunk beds became engulfed, spreading a wide orange glow through the darkened basement. Thick smoke hit the roof as it stretched across the room, slowly turning the barn into a lethal gas chamber. Crowley and the First stood in the corner next to the beds. The flames were traveling through them as they watched the two hunters and Slayer scurry around frantically.

"Surely you don't expect me to believe that you planned that", Crowley said with disbelief. 

"Like I said, if you're positive, Fergus, good things will happen", Lucifer stated while remaining focused on the group. 

"That's another thing", Crowley continued, "How do you know my real name?"

Lucifer turned his gaze toward the bellowing smoke that was now filling the room with a hazy smog. 

"Oh, I know things", Lucifer said looking back at the group who were still trying to get the door open, "Just like I know that even though I would love to watch those three burn to death, that smoke will kill them long before the flames do. The best I can hope for is to watch their corpses get extra crispy."

Dean began coughing as the flames poured black plumes of smoke from the shelves that had started their journey to becoming ashes. Sam looked up as the flames had spread to the ceiling. Buffy pushed on the door with all her Slayer strength. The wood creaked and moaned under the pressure but did not bust. Disheartened, Buffy let go of the door and descended the stairs. 

"I think something's blocking the door", Buffy gasped struggling to breath.

"We need to stop the flames from spreading across the ceiling", Sam said looking around the room. 

"Right. With what, Sam?", Dean yelled as he squinted through the smoke, "Good intentions?"

Sam noticed the shelves with the jars of blood on it. He walked over and grabbed one. Turning it over in his hand, he noticed the blood hadn't coagulated fully leaving most of the jar filled with liquid. The lid had the word "cow" written on it. 

"It's cows blood", Sam said throwing the jar to Dean. 

"Cows blood. Really?", Dean said turning the jar over in his hand, "Freaking vampires."

"Just throw it at the fire", Sam yelled as he hurled a jar at the ceiling. 

The three threw jar after jar creating areas where the fire was unable to cross. The smell of burnt blood filled the room as the smoke began to lighten. Despite their best efforts, the ceiling was still pouring smoke through the cracks. It quickly became apparent that the upstairs room was already on fire. 

"Damn it", Dean uttered as he walked toward the stairs, "Enough is enough."

Dean held up his machete as he was readying himself to hack the door down. Just before he could wind up a swing, a loud banging was heard coming from the other side of the door. The banging was replaced with a hacking sound that became louder as it grew closer. After a minute, the sound suddenly stopped. A short time later, Faith came busting through the door landing on the stairs in front on Dean. She was covered in blood and sported a look of fury. She cocked her head up to Dean.

"Vampires in your dimension fucking suck!", Faith uttered with a furious tone. 

 

Supernatural Dimension: What Happened with Faith

"Watch our backs", Buffy shouted as she turned back to the hole in the floor.

Faith was crouched at the entranceway as she watched Dean, Sam, and Buffy disappear into the basement. She walked away from the entrance and looked around at the scenery. She held the scythe out and checked the blades sharpness as well as the stake that protruded from the handle. Faith loved the scythe. A twinge of sadness crossed her mind as she felt the true owner of the scythe was Buffy. 

She then began to think about the Slayer lineage. If Buffy died and the Slayer line deemed Faith worthy of being activated after the death of Kendra, then Faith was technically the true Slayer. Her mind was swirling with realizations about herself that she hadn't considered before. Buffy was supposed to be dead and Faith was the real Slayer. She swung the scythe around and smiled.

Just as Faith started drifting deeper into thought, she heard a loud bang coming from inside the barn. She ran to the entranceway and leaned in. There she saw a handsome tanned skin man with short, spiky black and red hair wearing a black, sleeveless leather jacket over a muscular bare chest with light gray jeans which were tattered on the bottom, leaving long strands of fabric hanging over his black boots. He had closed the basement door and pushed a large wooden support beam on top of it. 

He smiled and laughed as Faith crawled into the barn. She stood up and brushed off the hay that clung to her. As she scanned around the room that was filled with large piles of moldy hay, she started strolling over to vampire with a confident stride.

"So? You're a vampire, huh?", Faith said with a serious tone, "You look more like a biker-reject than a creature of the night."

The vampire started laughing. 

"Hey, Maurice!", the creature yelled.

"What the hell was that?", Faith said with a cocky grin, "Your mating call?"

Just then, a huge figure bounded from a nearby pile of hay and struck Faith across the face with a baseball bat. Her head rocked back as her body fell limp. The tall vampire walked out of the hay and shook off the fodder. Maurice was a towering figure with dark skin, a shiny bald head and a combat jacket with baggy, brown pants. He strolled over to Faith and gave her a hard kick to the ribs. He looked over at the other vampire.

"Man, Dexter", Maurice said with a big smile, "We've got ourselves a hottie. I might have to turn her for myself."

"Hell nah!", Dexter said with a thick southern drawl, "I'm the one that done lead her in here. She's mine!"

Maurice stepped up to the significantly outclassed Dexter and unsheathed his fangs. Just then, a loud rapping noise came from the outside of the barn. 

"You two", Nathaniel yelled, "Knock it off. No body’s turning her. She's food. That's it. Now quit your pissin' contest and get her out here, now!"

Maurice picked up the scythe and grabbed Faith's left arm. Dexter held her right arm as they drug her out through the entranceway. The two vampires were met by Nathaniel and a female member of their group named Eliza. She had short blonde hair that was shaved underneath and combed over to one side of her head. She sported a sparkly nose ring, spiked bracelets, a bright green tank top with the inscription "Just Spice" written in bold, black letters, black jeans, and dark gray sneakers. 

"Oh, yeah. Check this chick out", Eliza exclaimed looking down at Faith's body, "I call dibs on her jacket."

Eliza reached down and pulled the black jacket off of Faith. She quickly threw it on and did a mock runway model pose. Dexter and Maurice laughed as Nathaniel crouched down to look at Faith in the face. 

"You ain't nothin'", Nathaniel whispered, "You're just an uppity little rat who's pissed off the wrong kitty."

Faith's eyes opened as she reached up and grabbed Nathaniel by the neck.

"If that's your sweet talk, then I've gotta tell ya...you're just not my type", Faith said as she flung Nathaniel backwards onto the ground. 

Faith leaned back with her arms and in a single motion, leaped back onto her feet. 

"Alright", Faith said pulling out her hidden dagger, "Who wants it first?"

Dexter yelled as he ran at Faith from the front and Maurice began running up from the left side. Faith jumped up on Dexter and kicked off his face in order to swing around and slam into Maurice. Both vampires fell to the ground. Eliza rolled across the ground and picked up the scythe. Nathaniel got up and grabbed Faith from behind. Eliza then ran over with the scythe raised above her head. 

Faith slammed her head into Nathaniel's face causing him to relinquish his grip. She then lifted her dagger up as Eliza came down with the scythe. Faith's arm buckled slightly under the weight of the opposing blade but remained steady as the metal clanged against each other. Faith flipped her dagger into the grove of the scythe's handle and cut Eliza's hand. Eliza screamed out as she dropped the scythe and backed away. 

Faith stepped forward grabbing Eliza by the head and stabbed her in the throat with her dagger. A thick glop of blood erupted from Eliza's mouth which sprayed across Faith's left cheek. Faith tore the dagger out of the side of her neck and then did a round house kick that knocked her head off. Maurice let at a scream of sorrow as he tackled Faith. 

He pounded her head into the ground before grabbing her throat and squeezing it in his massive hands. Faith gasped for air as she reached around the ground for her dagger. As she touched the handle of a weapon, she felt a tingle shoot through her. That feeling signaled that she had grabbed the scythe. She swung it with all her might as it made contact with his neck. The blade traveled through him with incredible ease. His head fell forward as a gushing flow of blood sprayed from his neck onto Faith. 

"Are you kidding me?", Faith exclaimed as she wiped away the blood, "Why can't you assholes just turn into dust." 

Dexter and Nathaniel looked down at the dismembered bodies of their comrades. Dexter began to advance toward Faith but Nathaniel stopped him.

"No", Nathaniel whispered, "Come on. Let's get the others."

They backed away toward the woods. 

"This ain't over you Slayer bitch", Dexter yelled as they ran into the woods. 

Faith shook her head as she watched the creatures depart. She looked down at Eliza's headless body and cringed. 

"Ah, man. You got my jacket all messed up", Faith said pulling the jacket off Eliza and putting it back on herself, "It looks better on me anyways."

Faith looked at the barn to see black smoke coming from the top of the roof. She ran inside and saw the flames crawling up through the floor. Within a matter of seconds, Faith descended upon the trap door and began trying to push the support beam off of the opening. It tumbled and thumped as it scooted across the floor. She looked at the door and noticed a railroad spike and been jammed into the handle, essentially sealing the door shut. She swung the scythe up and slammed it into the door.

She hacked a large cut into the door and then jumped onto the support beam. With a quick lunge into the air, Faith came slamming down onto the door. She crashed through and landed on the stairs below. She looked up to see Dean standing with his machete held up in a readied position. 

"Vampires in your dimension fucking suck!", Faith uttered with a furious tone.


	4. Decapitation and a Hot Shower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a confrontation with Nathaniel, the group recuperates at a motel for the night.

Supernatural Dimension - Outside the Vampire's Nest

The sun drifted below the tree line as dusk spread across the sky. The blazing barn cast an orange glow that glinted in the ripples of the nearby swamp as flames spewed from the top of the structure. The First and Crowley's body were still standing on the hummock that sat near the barn. The First pulled its fingers out of Crowley's head, returning him to normal. Crowley's eyes were no longer black having returned to their usual charming gleam. He then shook his head and rubbed the area where the First had stuck its hand. Crowley suddenly had a flash of images in his mind. 

He saw an abandoned warehouse, the number 774, and then a figure dressed in a suit with glowing red eyes. After being assaulted with the unexpected sights, Crowley regained composure and looked at the First who was staring at him with a curious expression.

"What? Haven't you ever had a migraine?", Crowley said as he rubbed his temples. 

"I do not suffer the ailments of man", Lucifer said with a cold tone, "They suffer me."

Crowley looked at the First with a smirk of disbelief.

"Right. Well, as we can see from your little botched demonstration", Crowley uttered looking toward the barn, "The only thing you suffer is underestimation. I mean really, sending vampires to kill-what did you call them-"vampire slayers". Come on. And that's not even mentioning the denim-clad-cockroaches that are the Winchesters. You can stomp on them all you like and they just keep scurrying back."

Lucifer stood in front of Crowley and looked him in the eye with a piercing gaze. 

"Exactly", Lucifer agreed, "You can try and try again but the Winchesters and the Slayers just keep on ticking. I wanted you to see that even in the direst situations; those infuriating bastards still pull through. This is your wake-up call, Fergus. Do you want them dead or do you want to keep perpetuating this game of cat and mouse?"

Crowley placed his hand on his chin as he thought about the First's comments. Crowley replayed the strange images in his head again and decided it was best to play along. For the moment. 

"Fine", Crowley replied in a tone of defeat, "What is your plan, then?"

"Well before I reveal my endgame, there is an old friend I need to go see first", Lucifer said as he turned away from Crowley and walked to the edge of the hummock, "you go back to that little kingdom of yours and wait. I'll come get you when you're needed."

"So that's it then?", Crowley asked, "I'm supposed to sit there like a dog until master comes and throws me a bone?"

"You be a good boy now and don't piss on the furniture", Lucifer uttered just before he disappeared in a white flash. 

Crowley had a look on his face that was beyond rage. Even though he was plotting against the First, he hated being treated like he was a mere henchman. The King of Hell certainly would not stand for such insolence, but for now, the First essentially had him by the bollocks. And it was only a matter of time before the First got rid of him. He needed to find a way to turn the situation in his favor. He looked over at the entranceway of the barn to see the four beat-up heroes walking away from the burning structure. He smiled in revelation just before he disappeared. 

Buffy limped across the field as she held the machete lazily at her side. Her arm and shoulder were covered in dried blood as her black v-cut shirt clung tightly to her sticky skin. Faith was walking with a confident stride with the scythe resting on her shoulder. The blood on her face and hair had begun drying creating a crusty film. Sam and Dean walked behind the girls as they headed into the woods. Everyone was covered in dirt and soot as they quietly strode through the darkness toward the car. 

After silently hiking for what seemed like an eternity, the group let out a sigh of relief upon finally viewing the Impala. As they walked towards the vehicle, the sound of a branch snapping drifted out from behind the bush hiding the car. Suddenly seven individuals came striding out from around the shrubbery. It was Nathaniel, Dexter, and the rest of the vampires.

"Ya think ya'll can just come into our home, burn it down, and walk away without so much as an apology?", Nathaniel yelled as he stepped around the Impala, "Now that's just rude."

Dean and Sam held their machetes up as the other vampires began surrounding the group. Buffy and Faith let out a sigh of frustration.

"Guys, seriously", Buffy said with exhaustion in her voice, "Now isn't the best time. Why don't we just call it a night and we'll kill you another day. Okay?"

The other vampires looked at Nathaniel who was staring down at Buffy. He smiled his cocky grin and waved his hand in a circular motion, signaling the group to attack. Buffy and Faith assumed defensive postures as three vampires attacked them from both sides. Buffy stepped up and swung her machete, relieving two of the vampires of their heads. She then lifted her weapon into the air and brought it down on the third one, splitting his head in half. She then removed the machete from his neck and spun around with a second strike that sent the two pieces of cranium flopping to the ground as the body fell over. 

Faith threw the scythe at Dexter, striking him in the chest, before grabbing the other two vampires by the back of their necks. With a swift push, Faith shoved their heads together causing a sickening sound of cracking bone. Their bodies fell to the ground as they writhed and twitched in agony. Sam and Dean ran over and quickly dispatched them. Faith walked toward Dexter as he struggled to pull the blade from his sternum. 

"I think you have something of mine", Faith said with a tired but playful tone.

Dexter swung at Faith with his fist but she ducked and deflected it with her arm. After blocking his attack, she reached over and pulled the scythe from his chest. The sound of bones cracking and splintering filled the air with the removal of the weapon. A huge chunk of flesh clung to the blade as Faith yanked it out. He yelled out in pain but was immediately silenced as Faith decapitated him. 

The group all looked to Nathaniel who had fallen to his knees during the fight. Any trace of his cocky smile was gone and was replaced with an angry scowl. 

"My...my family...you monsters killed 'em!", Nathaniel yelled with a squeaking break in his voice. 

"Ironic much?", Buffy asked as she stepped up toward the broken vampire, "I'm sure that waitress was someone's family."

Although tears had begun streaming down his face, Nathaniel started laughing. His eyes bloodshot and squinty as his smile encompassed his face. He laughed like a desperate mad man. 

"You think that I give a shit what happens to you...animals", Nathaniel spat with hatred seeping through his laughter, "The Master gave us an opportunity to kill you...and we...it don't matter, you're still dead. No matter WHAT you do. You're dead. Hell, the whole goddamn world is dead. Dead! Dead! DEAD!"

Faith went over to kill him but Dean reached up and stopped her. She looked up at him in confusion. Dean stepped passed her as he stared down at Nathaniel. 

"Alright bloodsucker", Dean said pointing the end of his machete at the vampire's neck, "Who's the Master?"

Buffy let out a sigh causing Dean to look over at her. She crossed her arms and stared down at Nathaniel.

"Was he a pointed ear guy with fruit-punch mouth?", Buffy asked as she motioned with her hands. 

"Yeah. Damn thing said it was a vampire", Nathaniel said in a slightly less insane tone. 

"I can see how that can be confusing", Buffy replied calmly, "Now tell us what he wanted...other than to kill us, of course."

Nathaniel looked away and stared at the dismembered bodies of his group. His face contorted in fury as he leapt to his feet and punched Dean across the face. He then grabbed Buffy and slammed her onto the car. He wrapped his hands around her throat. 

"He told me to reach inside that pretty little chest of yours, rip out your heart, and drink it up like a damn juice box", Nathaniel said before knocking Faith back with a kick to the stomach, "It's all over now, girlie. The Master he's goin' to see a horseman. I hope ya'll grasp the level of shit you're in. It's about to get mighty apocalyptic real soon."

Nathaniel unsheathed his fangs as Buffy struggled and gasped for air. Just then a blade struck through Nathaniel's throat, stopping halfway. Sam grabbed a hold of Nathaniel's head in his left hand as he swung the machete the rest of the way with his right. As Nathaniel's body fell to the ground, Sam gave the head a look of disgust before chucking it into a nearby pool of swamp water. Sam returned his attention to Buffy and offered his hand as she attempted to get up. She held on to his muscular arm as she steadied herself. They both laughed awkwardly. Dean was helping Faith up as she wiped the dirt of her pants.

"Man, you girls are some crazy bitches", Dean proclaimed with a smirk.

"Excuse me?", Faith and Buffy said in unison while giving Dean a stern look.

"Uh...ladies...I meant crazy ladies", Dean stuttered. 

The girls laughed and walked over to the car. Dean looked at Sam who was shaking his head. 

"What? They're Slayers, Sam. Slayers!", Dean stated trying to explain his actions. 

The group got into the Impala and drove away from the ancient roadway, back into modern culture. They knew of a motel at the edge of town and decided to rest there for the night. As they drove down the road, Buffy and Faith were in the backseat while Dean drove and Sam sat in the passenger's seat. Buffy inquired about what Nathaniel meant about a horseman.

"Well, if he's talking about the Four Horsemen then it's nothing good", Dean said with a grimace.

"What, like end-of-the-world horse guys from the Bible?", Faith asked looking at Dean through the rearview mirror, "Man, you guys sure love those religious undertones."

"Trust me. No one's more frustrated with religious figures than me and Sammy", Dean said looking over at his brother, "The problem is, the four horsemen are gone. There's only one left that's still walking around."

"You fought the Four Horsemen?", Buffy asked in disbelief, "Seriously, you guys are always fighting outside your weight class, aren't ya. So which one are dealing with, War? Famine?"

"Death", Sam uttered in a cold and serious tone.

Buffy and Faith's mouths dropped open slightly. They looked at each other and then returned their gaze to Sam. 

"Death?", Buffy asked, "Like Death, Death."

"Yes", Dean replied, "The Grim Reaper, the Rider of the Pale Horse. He's beyond ancient and beyond powerful. If this First thing is going to see him, then it's definitely not good."

Sam turned to Buffy and Faith.

"You said that it mimics dead people, right", Sam asked pointing at Buffy.

"Yep. Even if you're revived", Buffy retorted with an inquisitive look.

"What if the First has some connection to Death?", Sam revealed, "Dean told me that Death claimed there are other worlds out there, maybe your dimension is one Death is associated with."

"If that's the case, then we're in even bigger trouble than we thought", Buffy said looking over at Faith.

As they came up to the motel, Dean turned into the parking lot. The area only had six rooms lined up side by side with an office attached on the end. After paying for two rooms, Sam and Dean walked over to Buffy and Faith who were standing in front of the Impala. 

"Alright, ladies", Dean said holding out a room key, "Your in 103 and we're in 102. If you need anything just holler."

The group divided and went into their separate rooms. Inside were the standard beds with small wooden night stands, a table near the window, a long chest of drawers with a small TV on top and a door leading to a bathroom on the far wall. Dean went straight to the bathroom while Sam pulled his laptop from his bag and set it up on the table. The roar of a shower could be heard coming from the bathroom as Dean began showering. 

Sam started going over his notes about Death and any information that would connect it to a personification of evil. Page after page of mythology involving Death stated many things about dying and evilness but nothing about original evil. He looked into original sin but again only found minor details that did not relate to the situation. It began to look like a dead end. 

Sam began looking up information about the First itself. He typed in "The First Evil" into the search engine and waited for the results. Before the page could fully load, a knock came from the door. Sam closed the laptop and went to the door with his hand resting on the gun in his coat pocket. He opened the door to see an extremely unexpected sight. Faith was standing there with wet hair and draped only in a large white towel that hung to just above her knees. 

"Hey, Sam", Faith said with a smile, "Our shower isn't working. Can I use yours? Thanks."

Before Sam could answer, Faith pushed past him and began striding toward the bathroom. She quickly opened the door and walked inside, closing the door behind her. 

"What the....oh hey", Dean yelled out before everything went silent. 

Sam shook his head and grabbed his laptop. It looked like he was going to sleep in the car tonight. He went over to the girl's room and knocked on the door. No answer. He banged on the door a little harder which caused the door to come open. 

"Hello", Sam called as he stepped into the room. 

The girl's motel room was an exact copy of the one next door. He didn't see any sign of Buffy. Just as he realized the only place she could be was the bathroom, the door opened and Buffy came out wearing only a towel with one wrapped around her head. She gasped when she saw Sam.

"Sam! Pervy much?", Buffy exclaimed as she attempted to hide her already covered body, "What are you doing in here?"

"I...um...Faith", Sam stuttered as he turned to the open door so he was not facing her, "She told me your...shower isn't working."

"Typical", Buffy said shaking her head, "Well feel free to stand there like a goober or just close the door and stay here. It looks like you just got kicked out."

In the shower next door, Faith and Dean were passionately locked in each other's embrace. Faith shoved Dean to the wall and pressed her moist body up against his muscular frame. She went in for a kiss but instead bit his lower lip; pulling on it with a slight tug. Dean took a deep breath as she worked her way down his neck to his chest. She ran her tongue over his pecks while she gradually worked her way down his stomach. She crouched as she lightly kissed on his abs moving her hands up and down the muscular grooves of his outer thighs. Dean tensed as she drew closer to the bottom of his waist. He suddenly reached down and grabbed her by the wrists. He pulled her up and spun her around. 

Faith was now against the wall as Dean held her arms up above her. He leaned in close to her ear and began kissing her neck. He slowly worked his way to the nip of her neck and began biting her. Softly at first, then harder as she gasped with pleasure. He let go of her arms and placed his hands on her hips. She reached down and gripped his member with a firm grasp. She calmly stroked it while he began moving his tongue from her neck to her chest. Their bodies, glistening from the water, were slick as they slid against each other. She let go of him and grabbed his wrist. 

"You don't get to have all the fun", Faith said guiding Dean's hand down between her legs. 

Dean gently rubbed his fingers back and forth. Faith kissed on his neck and ran her tongue up to his ear. Dean entered her with his fingers causing her to rock back against the wall in ecstasy. Thrusting hastily with his hand, Dean reached around Faith's back with his other to bring her closer. He clasped his lips around her nipple and drew deeply causing a tingle to shoot through her. Just as they both became fully aroused; Faith pushed Dean back causing him to relinquish his grip on her. She stepped out of the shower, leaving him slightly befuddled. Faith turned around as she began toweling off. 

"What? I don't like shower sex", she said drying off her hair, "We can just fuck on the bed like normal people."

Dean quickly turned off the shower and followed her lead.


	5. Strange Bedfellows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little down time leads to romance and revelation. Crowley has an awkward encounter with Rennis.

Supernatural Dimension: Motel Room 103

In the next room, Buffy, who was wearing a dark blue robe she found in the bathroom, sat on the bed near the bathroom. Sam was sitting at the table with his laptop lying in front of him. The two were discussing the dynamics of family and living the life of a hunter and a slayer. Suddenly an odd whistling noise filled the room. Buffy and Sam jumped up to look around for the source of the noise. 

In the bathroom, Buffy saw that the necklace Willow had given her was glowing brightly. She picked it up and brought it into the room. Upon opening the locket, a stunning light filled enveloped them. As it quickly disappeared, Buffy and Sam saw Willow, who was wearing a long-sleeve, multi-colored shirt and olive pants, standing there in the room with them. 

"Hey Buff", Willow said calmly before she looked over at Sam, "Oh my. You are really tall."

"Thanks...I guess", Sam replied as he looked at Willow with a curious expression.

"Uh...Will. I'm glad to see you and all", Buffy said with apprehension, "But what are you doing here? You said the locket lets us communicate but I thought that it would be like a cell phone or something. I didn't think you'd actually show up in person."

"Oh. I'm a not really here", Willow revealed, "I'm like a magical hologram. All visual, no filler."

Buffy tried to touch Willow but her hand went right through. Everywhere Buffy touched disrupted Willow's appearance causing a swirling fog to form. 

"Neat. So, why are you here and why haven't you tried to contact me until now?", Buffy inquired.

"Well I wanted to, seriously, but Adaajah said we should wait", Willow revealed with concern peaking through her words, "In fact, she doesn't know I'm talking to you right now. Buffy, I think there's something bad going on."

"What do you mean?", Buffy asked.

"Well first, she removed the cauldron and sigils we used to perform the ritual that got you here", Willow stated, "And then she got really angry when I asked about bringing you back."

"Okay. So what should we do?", Buffy asked with a look of mild distress.

"That necklace I gave you...you remember the ancient dimension-traveling sorceress I talked about?", Willow recalled. 

"Yeah", Buffy replied.

"Well, I was talking about Adaajah. That necklace not only allows us to communicate; it lets her track your movements", Willow said with fear rising in her voice, "You need to get rid of it."

"What? But how will we contact you?", Buffy said with a wide-eyed look.

"Let me worry about that", Willow said as she turned around and looked behind her before turning back, "I've gotta go. Get rid of it now."

Willow disappeared as the glow from the necklace faded. Buffy and Sam looked at each other with disconcerting looks. 

"What should we do?", Sam asked, "I mean, what if this is a trick orchestrated by the First?"

"Willow never died", Buffy said with a blank stare, "No wait. She did. On Halloween. It was a spell but technically...she died. Does that count or…oh god, Sam! What do we do?"

Sam grabbed the necklace from her hand and went into the bathroom. He opened up an air vent in the side of the wall and stuck the necklace into a groove inside the cavity. He then put the cover back and sealed it. 

"There", Sam said dusting off his hands, "We can store it here so she can't track us when we leave but if we need it we can come back and get it."

"Good idea", Buffy said as she went over and sat on the bed, "But that doesn't really help much. We still don't know if it was a trick by the First or if Adaajah has gone all evil. Either way, we have a problem." 

Sam went to the table and sat down in front of his laptop.

"How do you spell Adaajah?", Sam asked as he flipped the computer open and looked at the screen.

"I have no idea", Buffy replied just before noticing Sam's open mouth stare, "What? What is it?"

Sam was staring at his computer screen with a wide-eyed look of shock. He then looked at Buffy and then back at the screen.

"Damn it, Sam", Buffy said jumping up from the bed and running over to the table, "What is...oh my god."

There on the screen were the results of Sam typing in The First Evil. It had brought up page after page of Buffy the Vampire Slayer websites. 

"You’re really a TV show", Sam said clicking on an official webpage, "It says it aired in 1997 and ran for seven seasons."

"What the HELL!!", Buffy screamed as she saw pictures of her kissing Angel, "Give me that."

Buffy took the computer and started scrolling. 

"I knew I had seen a show like this", Sam said looking over at Buffy who was vigorously clicking, "This is so...weird." 

After reading about several of her exploits, she began crying and threw the laptop on the bed. She got up and leaned on the dresser as she bawled. Sam got up and went over to the computer. On the screen was a picture of an actress. Sam read the name that appeared on the screen. It was Kristine Sutherland. 

"Who is she?", Sam asked with a tone of compassion.

"She's...my mom", Buffy said wiping away her tears, "But...but she's not. She’s just an actress. I came home and found my mother dead...but it was an act. All that pain and misery. The worst moments in my life are just words from a script."

"No. I think it's much deeper than that. You lived your life day to day but these stories are set weeks, months, and even years apart", Sam said looking at the list of episodes, "Maybe it's some sort of dimensional window or something. I don't know what's happening but it doesn't change the fact that you are a wonderful person. And even though I just met you, I can tell you are a strong woman who doesn't let anything get in her way."

Buffy looked at Sam with a look of solace as she ran over and hugged him. She trembled as he threw his arms around her. Sam held her tight as she cried. Buffy pushed him back and looked up into his eyes. 

"Sam. In our line of work, we often don't get the appreciation we deserve", Buffy said as tears streamed down her face, "You saved me today and I want you to know how grateful I am that you were there fighting beside us. The world is certainly a better place with you in it."

Sam gave Buffy a warm smile as he blushed from her compliments. Buffy then motioned for him to bend down. He knelt slightly and she gave him a small but meaningful kiss on the cheek. She had stopped crying but carried a heavy expression as she went back over to the laptop and picked it up. 

"We need to start from the first episode", Buffy stated as she clicked on the link for Season 1. 

"Should we go tell Dean and Faith?", Sam asked as he sat down on the bed next to Buffy. 

"Not right now", Buffy said turning to look at the wall that connected their two rooms, "They deserve some release."

Supernatural Dimension: Motel Room 102

Faith straddled Dean as he steadily thrusted upward and back. She tried to think of an excuse to end their passion, to run away from being loved, but she found her mind drawing a blank. She was deep in pleasure. Although she had already achieved orgasm, she was working her way through a second round. Never had Faith encountered an individual who could match her stamina. Dean reached his hand up to her bruised ribs causing Faith to let out a cry of pain. Dean moved his hand away but Faith placed it back on the wound and pushed down hard. She liked the pain. 

The experience thrilled Faith as she grabbed at her nipple with an aggressive tug. Dean placed hands on her hips and proceeded to push down with each thrust, sending himself further inside. Suddenly, she felt a new sensation. A feeling that had never happened to her before. Her soul. It was at peace. Faith wanted to not only feel the throbbing of his ejaculation send vibrations through her, she wanted to have this feeling again and again. She wanted to love him for the rest of her life. 

Dean wrapped his arms around her waist and while still remaining inside, flipped her on her back. He pulled her legs apart and up to his shoulders. Dean began plunging into her while his muscles rippled with each movement. They had already broken a lamp, the night stand, and possibly the TV on the dresser but they still wanted more. They craved each other. Dean grunted as he attempted to bury himself further inside. After a period of thrusting, Faith felt the vibrations just as Dean let out a loud sigh. She herself began pulsate from the fulfillment of a second orgasm. 

Dean let his weight drop but remained holding himself up. She grabbed his face and gave him a lustful lick on the tip of his nose. They tenderly caressed each other's lips in a loving kiss. Faith looked up at Dean with utter contentment as he looked down at her. He slumped over next to her. His naked body glistened in the pale light as Faith stared down at the Adonis before her. She could not resist running her hand over his chest and abs. He smiled and looked up at her. 

"Faith...", Dean began to say but stopped.

"What?", Faith asked. 

"Never mind", Dean said as he held his hand to her face, "Just know that I will always...just...um...be safe fighting monsters."

Dean got up to put on his shirt and underwear. 

"Hey, Dean", Faith said a she stood up from the bed, "You be safe fighting monsters too."

Faith went into the bathroom as Dean moved to the window to look out at the Impala. He had never felt this way about a woman before. Dean had always been afraid of loving a woman because he knew they could be hurt or killed just being around him. Faith was different. She was capable of living in his world. He felt at rest being with her. Dean wanted to already say the three words he knew could never come. Even if he did muster the courage to say them, he doubted Faith could say them back. He sighed as she came out of the bathroom. Faith got on the bed and slid under the covers. 

Dean went to get in the other bed when he heard a sigh come from Faith. Dean was in disbelief. He wasn't sure how but he knew that she was feeling the same. 

"Fuck it", Dean whispered as he went over to her bed and got under the covers.

"Um, what the hell are you doing?" Faith uttered as she turned over to look at Dean. 

"I guess…I'm gonna sleep next to you", Dean said with apprehension rising inside his chest.

"That's stupid", Faith said without a hint of care, "You've gotta whole bed for you over there." 

"Fine", Dean yelled as he got out of the bed. 

Faith quickly reached out and grabbed Dean by the arm. She pulled him back to her. 

"Dean?", Faith said with a suddenly longing tone, "Can we just pretend it's not stupid?"

Dean looked at her like she was crazy but then slowly smiled with contentment and got back into the bed. He reached over and put his arm around her. Although neither of them could see the other's face, they were both smiling as they drifted off to sleep. 

Supernatural Dimension: Hell

Crowley walked down a stone hallway with torches that lit the path and arches built into the wall. He turned the corner and walked through a large archway that lead to the courtyard room. As he walked in he saw that the room no longer looked like a courtyard and instead appeared as a large empty room with the same archways from the hallway adorning all the walls. 

The only object in the room was a large rectangular structure that had a human-sized, X shaped wooden attachment that displayed straps at the end of each plank. Next to the structure was a thin metal table that held several objects. While Crowley knew what he was looking at, he was curious as to why it was there. 

Just then, Rennis came walking through the archways and into the newly renovated room. He was wearing his typical suit and baby-blue tie, but he now had new accessory with him. Attached to a leash that Rennis held was a beautiful, curvy woman with short black who was on all fours crawling slowly behind him. 

She was wearing a black leather blindfold and held a leather rod in her teeth that was tied to straps that fit around her head. Her breasts were wrapped in a strip of barbed wire that was tightly bound to her skin which caused tiny cuts to form as she crawled. She had another strand of barbed wire on her waist that wrapped around between her legs. Her back was covered in shallow cuts from a small whip that Rennis had just used on her. 

Rennis pulled on her collar and yelled, "Sit". The woman quickly knelt down and laid her hands on her legs. Rennis straightened his tie and looked at Crowley with utter annoyance. 

"What are you doing in here?", Rennis asked crossing his arms. 

"I should be asking you that question", Crowley retorted, "But I really don't want to know the answer."

Rennis simply rolled his eyes and pulled on the leash.

"Come", Rennis uttered in a dominant tone.

The Liaison guided the woman over to the structure in the middle of the room. While standing in front of the wooden X, Rennis reached down and pulled her collar off. Crowley smirked as he watched the pair interact.

"Stand up", Rennis said as he placed the collar on the table. 

As the woman began standing up, she stumbled slightly and inadvertently grabbed Rennis' arm. 

"No touching!", Rennis shouted as he pulled her arm away from his. 

Rennis then quickly removed the leather rod from her mouth. He then drew his hand back and slapped her hard across the face. The woman let out a sigh of pleasure. Rennis then shoved her up to the wooden planks. As Rennis removed the pieces of barbed wire, Crowley stepped up on the other side of the woman.

"What's the matter, Rennis", Crowley asked as he looked at the woman's blindfold, "Don't want her to see your tiny pecker?"

Rennis looked over at Crowley like he was a fly. He raised his hand and telekinetically picked up Crowley by his throat. 

"Oh...bugger!", Crowley chocked out just before Rennis flicked his hand sending the King flying across the room. 

Rennis looked back at the woman and began strapping her to the planks. She was facing the structure leaving her back and behind exposed. Rennis strapped her left arm tightly to the wood before reaching over and restraining her right one. He then bent down and strapped her legs. Crowley slowly got off the floor and stood up. He wiped his sleeves off and straightened his coat. 

"Well I can see that you're busy", Crowley said with a cocky smile, "I'll just see myself out."

"Crowley. Do shut up", Rennis stated while remaining focused on the woman, "And come over here."

Crowley looked at Rennis with disdain but complied with the request. He was concerned about Rennis' ability to throw him around like he was nothing. While initially thinking Rennis was just a regular demon, Crowley now believed that the Liaison was something much more powerful. As he walked up to the woman, Rennis walked over to the table and began looking at the instruments he had on display. 

"I have made a decision that I think will be mutually beneficial", Rennis said as he picked up a small, wooden paddle that had metal studs embedded on one side. 

"Really? And what's that then?", Crowley asked putting his hands in his pockets. 

"I have decided to let you play King of Hell, if only as a figure head", Rennis said rubbing his hand across the woman's back, "But remember this, I am the true king and you are my servant."

"And how does that help you?", Crowley inquired as he ran his finger down the woman's arm. 

Rennis slapped it away and then took the woman by the hair. 

"I need you to do the dirty work", Rennis stated as he swung the studded paddle back and then struck the woman's behind. She reared up and moaned. Rennis smacked the hard wood against her soft skin again and again; harder each time. After a few minutes, Rennis let go of her and set the paddle back on the table.

"Dirty work, huh?", Crowley said watching Rennis pick up a belt off the table and place it around the woman's neck, "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to do away with the First", Rennis proclaimed as he tightened the belt.

"Already ahead of you, mate", Crowley said confidently, "Just got to get all my ducks in a row."

"Good", Rennis said as he picked up a large, ridged sexual implement from the table, "Now leave. I’d like to finish my date in peace."

"Right. Have fun now", Crowley stated as he walked out. 

As Crowley rounded the corner and began walking down the hall, he heard the woman scream out in a mixture of pain and ecstasy. Crowley continued down the hall until he entered a large, stone room that had columns placed throughout as support beams. In this area, there were around twenty demons standing around wearing suits and ties that were exact copies of Rennis' attire. Crowley began laughing so loudly, it caused the demons to turn and look.

"You guys are real sharp, you know that?", Crowley said as he crossed his arms over his stomach and laughed harder, "Like a pack lemmings."

Crowley mock wiped away a tear and then straightened his coat. He then took a deep breath and smiled.

"Alright you lot, who wants to help me torment the Winchesters?", Crowley asked clapping his hands together.

None of the demons stepped forth. Crowley walked up towards the group. 

"Step on up. Don't be shy", Crowley stated looking at the hatred coming from every glance in the room, "I promise you'll have a hell of a time. What do you say?"

Noticing that the demons were in alliance with Rennis, he knew a show of force was the only thing that would work. Crowley held up his hand and then clenched it with a vicious intensity. All the demons started coughing up heavy plumes of black smoke as they were being ripped from their vessels. The demons fell to their knees as Crowley smiled. He then unclenched his fist. 

"Now. Who wants to give me a hand?", Crowley uttered with a large, sinister grin. 

All the demons raised their hands while they gasped and coughed from the assault.


	6. Back to the Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The First meets with Death. The group has a rude awakening.

Supernatural Dimension: Abandoned Warehouse in Atlanta, Georgia

 Deep in the night, sat a decayed warehouse that had become weathered from years of exposure. The windows were mostly broken out and glass littered the ground in large, jagged pieces. Amongst the debris and broken machinery was a homeless man lying on his side while clutching his stomach in pain. His eyes clenched and wet from tears, he had lost his sanity long ago from the overwhelming agony. 

 Unbeknownst to the homeless man, a reaper stood over him watching the event unfold. The reaper was an elderly man with a dark mortician's suit, a green tie, a short gray beard, and a peppered ring of hair just below his bald head. He heard a noise behind him. Turning to investigate, the reaper saw Death walking into the warehouse through a large sliding door that was open on the other side of the building. 

 "It's like a train wreck", Death said as he strolled up to the reaper, "You shouldn't stare, but you just can't look away, can you?"

 The reaper looked at Death but did not react. Death looked down at the homeless man and smiled. 

 "Let's put him out of his misery, shall we?", Death said with an uncharacteristic grin, "See if you can make his heart explode or maybe his eyeballs. That'd be a sight, wouldn't it."

 The reaper remained silent as it shook its head slowly signifying it would not comply. 

 "Listen to me you insignificant little speck", Death said pointing his long bony finger at the reaper, "I'm your boss and you will do as I say. Kill this man in the most horrific manner you can muster and do it now."

Just then another Death appeared while holding a cane. The reaper automatically bowed its head and clasped its hands together in a formal, almost religious pose. 

 "Although imitation is considered the highest form of flattery", Death said to the imposter, "Your performance has been nothing but offensive. The circumstance of a human's demise is hardly something I would care about. Tsk. Tsk. You should know me better than that, little brother."

 The imposter Death was revealed to be the First Evil. It smiled as Death just before turning into Buffy. 

 "Well, its sister these days", Buffy stated placing her hands on her hips.

 Death looked at the reaper.

 "Leave us."

 In the blink of an eye, the reaper was gone. The homeless man continued writhing on the ground. Death looked down at the man but did not end his suffering. The First watched Death analyze the vagrant.

 "What are you doing here?", Death asked focusing his gaze on the First. 

 The First, as Buffy, peered down at the homeless man's pain with a curious grin. 

 "You know why I'm here. I want to put things like they used to be, long before these...things were even the rodents that scurried about in the dark."

  Death raised an eyebrow while keeping the normal scowl across his face from turning to a sneer. 

 "Such disdain for creatures that've done nothing but live up to your shining example. You become all gitty around their death like it is some brand new plaything but I assure you, it is nothing more than a meticulous and draining event. It's almost like watching paint dry, you know it's an important process but it's utterly boring."

 The First shot Death a curious look as it contemplated his words.

 "So do you want to change the process or not?", Buffy inquired while crossing her arms. 

 "Even with my power the best I can do is kill all life in the universe. That would be fun for exactly one second and then I would have to deal with the fact that without life, death cannot exist."

 The First cocked its head slightly. 

 "That's why we demolish the constraints of these realms and release Life from its dispersion. We will make it like it was. Back when it was just the three of us."

 "You mean four", Death uttered, "Remember, the First Purity?"

 "God?! He's not a problem. With what I am proposing, we will be unstoppable."

 Death thought about it for a moment. He paced for a minute before responding. 

 "What is it that you want, exactly?"

 The First walked over to Death. She placed her hands on Death's coat but did not phase through. Rubbing her hands up and down the fabric she smiled.

 "I want inside you."

 Death grabbed the First's hands and pushed her away. 

 "How incestuously revolting. Besides we can't merge without your original body which was destroyed by Life and God. Lucky you have a brother who cared enough to give you form through the departed."

 "We can merge. We just need a substitute who can withstand the transfer."

 "And what entity could give you that much power?", Death inquired with a pensive stare.

 "Oh...I've gotta a demonic little birdy waiting on the wire", the First proclaimed, "He'll give us just the lubricant we need." 

 "Please, don't tell me you've been picking up cohorts from Hell. That seedy little cesspool is only worth its weight in souls. And even with every single one of them crammed inside you, you'd only have enough power to embody my pinky." 

 "Yes, but that's where we have the two Slayers...and the vessels of Heaven and Hell. With that kind of mojo, we'll have enough energy to go all the way."

 "Why are you comparing this to sex?", Death inquired with a completely serious expression.

 "Cause everything's about sex, silly"

 Death shook his head and began walking away. 

 "I will assist you on your quest to destroy all existence only out of a misguided compassion for a sibling. But understand, what you are attempting is a tall order. Besides falling flat on your face, the best you can hope of achieving is blowing up the whole of hell which I am completely fine with as those demons keep my reapers hopping about non-stop."   

 "Glad you see it my way but I promise you...this is going to be the end of all things to come. Just wait and see."

 Both Death and the First disappeared while the homeless man continued to writhe on the ground. 

Supernatural Dimension: Motel Room 103

 Dawn was breaking as Sam and Buffy were sound asleep on the bed. The laptop sat open in front of them as they slept. Sam was lying on his back while Buffy had cuddled up next to him, resting her head on his chest. As the two lay there in silence, shadows from outside began walking past the window. 

 Suddenly the door burst open as ten demons in dark suits came running in. Sam and Buffy quickly got out of the bed in order to confront the intruders. Before the duo could attack, the demons held up their hands in order to throw them up against the wall. The pair was completely pinned down as the demons pressed them against the wall above the bed. 

 As the demons stood their ground, another demon walked in from outside. His name was Adam. He had white, spiky hair and very young face. The demon smiled as he looked at the pair on the wall before sitting down on the edge of the bed, next to the laptop. 

 "Sammy, Sammy, Sammy", Adam uttered, "You really know how to misuse a motel room. I mean, all night long with a beautiful woman and you don't even make a move? You're killing me, here."  
"Who are these guys?", Buffy asked while struggling to get free.

 "They're demons", Sam replied as he stared at Adam, "What do you want with us?"

 "Me? The only thing I want from you is to see your flesh peeled from your bones. But my orders come from bigger fish. I was sent here by Crowley to inform you that "the First" is going to end the world. I don't know what all this means as I'm just a lowly demon after all, but he said you'd get the message loud and clear."

 "Who's Crowley?", Buffy asked 

 "He's a crossroads demon who thinks he's still a threat", Sam replied still keeping his eyes on Adam, "You can tell Crowley we're not interested in whatever angle he's working this time."

 Adam smiled and grabbed the laptop. He focused on the screen as he typed something in on the keyboard. After a few seconds of typing, he closed the computer and set it back on the bed. He then stood up to face Sam and Buffy directly while putting his hands in his pants pocket. 

 "No angle. Just business", Adam said as a grin stretched across his face. 

 "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus...", Sam began shouting causing the demons tremendous pain; however, they retaliated by squeezing down on his throat making him choke. 

 "You know what, you great big piece of shit, I have ten demons in the next room and, unlike you and your "partner" here, your brother knows exactly how to use a cheap motel room. So I've got two naked lambs in there ready for slaughter. Try something like the stunt you just pulled and they're dead in the time it takes me to snap my fingers."   

 "What...the hell...did you do?", Sam coughed out while gasping for air.  

 "Nothing yet", the demon exclaimed as he let go of Sam's neck, "But we need you to be a good boy scout for this to work. See, Crowley gave me very specific orders not to kill you or your lovely compatriots so I'm just going to have to settle with torturing you instead."

 The demon laughed as he shoved the bed aside and walked up to Sam. 

 "You may be protected by that damn tattoo but she's not", Adam uttered as he turned to Buffy, "If you're not going to have at her, then I'll just have to give her a ride."

 Adam opened his mouth and began spewing black smoke into the room. The smoke travelled up to the ceiling before quickly flowing over to Buffy. She struggled to avoid the smoke but it was too strong. The demon entered her mouth. 

 After a minute of shaking uncontrollably, Buffy opened her eyes revealing they had turned black. The other demons let her go, allowing her to come down off the wall and onto the second bed. She looked down at her arms and then around to Sam. Looking noticeably concerned, Sam tried to reason with her. 

 "Buffy! This isn't you. You've got to take control."

 Buffy laughed and proceeded to raise her had up in order to choke Sam. As she was about to grab a hold, her arm started shaking. Buffy screamed out and fell onto her knees. She slammed her hands against the bed. The other demons looked at her with uncertainty as they didn't know what was happening. Buffy held her arm up and forced all the demons in the room to fly into the wall behind them. Sam suddenly came crashing to the floor. 

 Buffy let out an ear piercing scream as the black smoke poured from her body. It swirled around the room before re-entering its previous host that had fallen to the floor. Sam ran over just as Adam regained control and pulled out the demon knife. He thrust the blade in the demons gut and twisted it. Adam's face glowed with an orange light as he fell dead to the ground. Buffy was still coughing as Sam walked over and offered his hand to help her up. 

 "Are you...um...okay?", Sam asked cautiously as he was confused at how she was able to perform a self-exorcism, "What just happened?"

"Yeah...I'll be alright", Buffy replied as she took hold of Sam's arm, "That's not the first time I've had demonic smoke shoved down my throat. It couldn't get me then and I guess it couldn't get me now. There's just too much demon in me already."

As Sam and Buffy faced each other, the other demons had regained their composure and were poised to attack. Before they could even take a step forward, one of the demons started screaming as a bright light emitted from his eyes and mouth. His body dropped to ground revealing Castiel standing behind him. The other demons backed away from the angel and stumbled over each other as they ran out of the motel room. 

 "Cass", Sam proclaimed, "How did you find us?"

 "Twenty demons were laying siege to a cheap motel", Castiel replied with a deep, steady tone, "The odds of it being anyone but the Winchester brothers were slim." 

 Faith quickly walked in through the door wearing a white shirt and boxers. She grabbed her clothes and went into the bathroom.  

 "Yeah, you better run", Dean yelled at the demons as he walked into the room only wearing jeans, "What the hell was that all about?"

 "Crowley sent us a message about the First", Sam replied as he looked at his bare-chested brother, "But I see we are experiencing a much more important clothing shortage."

 "Oh grow up, Sammy", Dean said crossing his arms across his chest, "What did that beady little rat-snake want?"

 "Just to tell us that the First was here", Buffy responded as she looked at Dean's chest, "Probably flexing his muscles...um...you know, what I mean. A show of force. That's what I meant. Definitely not the muscles thing. I'm going to shut up now."

 "What is the First", Castiel inquired while looking at Buffy, "And who are the two females?"

 "The First is a supreme, evil being we are currently dealing with. This is Buffy", Sam replied, "And the one in the bathroom is Faith. Buffy, this is Castiel. He's an angel."

 "The dick's with wings?", Buffy asked causing Castiel to give Dean a scornful look. 

 Castiel then looked at back at Buffy and squinted. 

 "You are out of phase with our reality. Your aura is fragmented."

 "That's because these ladies are from another dimension", Dean said motioning towards Buffy, "And they're Slayers so they can handle the rough stuff."

 Everyone gave Dean a look of awkwardness as the mental images were conjured. Dean shook his head upon realizing what he had said. 

 "You know what I mean, demons and...and monsters", Dean uttered in defense, "Damn it, guys."

 "That reminds me", Sam said looking at Buffy, "Apparently the demonic energy that gives Slayers their abilities is too strong for demons to hold onto."

 "What do you mean?" Dean asked. 

  "We can't be possessed", Buffy revealed with a smile, "Or at least we can be but it won't be able to take full control."

 "Also we found this on the Internet last night", Sam stated as he walked over to the laptop, "Buffy and Faith are...what the hell?"

 Sam examined the computer screen as a word processor had been left open with a series of numbers on it. 

 "That demon must have left us coordinates", Sam revealed, "See, the numbers are longitude and latitude."

 "None of this makes any sense", Dean yelled out looking at the numbers, "Why attack us and threaten to kill us just to leave a trail of bread crumbs to follow."

 "The First can be anywhere", Buffy whispered, "If he's sending us a secret message, it's probably best not to talk about it out loud."

 Everyone grew quiet as Faith emerged for the bathroom wearing her black tank top and leather pants as she threw on her coat. 

 "So...what did I miss?", Faith asked as she ran her fingers through her hair. 

 "Well now that you're here", Buffy stated in a calm manner, "Sam, can you continue with what you were going to tell us."

 "Right. We found this", Sam said as he showed everyone the web pages about Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

 "I don't understand", Castiel uttered as he looked at the images, "Why should we be concerned about a fictional character that you look like."

 "That IS me. That is my life, but in this world, it is just a fantasy made by actors", Buffy responded.

 "Yo...B...what the...what the hell", Faith stuttered as she looked over the sections, "This is seriously screwed up. Have you tried to contact Willow?"

  "Yeah. That's the other thing I needed to tell you", Buffy said in a reluctant tone, "Willow told us that Adaajah was being really suspicious about us and that it was in our best interest to get rid of the necklace. Sam has hidden it in case we need it."

 "So let me get this straight", Dean exclaimed, "Crowley's possibly working for the First, you and Faith are from another dimension but in our reality you're just a TV show, the people who sent you are now possibly evil and in the middle of all this, the First has started the end of the world? What could make it any worse?"

  "How about Death?", Castiel muttered, "the Horseman  is now walking the Earth. There is no telling what damage will be done."

 "Son of a bitch", Dean yelled out as he put on his shirt that Faith had borrowed. 

 "So Death is actually in play now", Buffy said looking at Castiel. 

 "Yes. And I am sure that whatever problems you are having with this...First thing is related."

 "Well let's not sit around here looking at dumb shit", Faith stated as she slammed the laptop on a page about Mayor Wilkins, "We should get on the road or whatever."

 Dean saw the pained look on Faiths face and went over to comfort her but she gave him a look of disgust and walked out of the room. 

  "Yeah. We should get out of here", Dean muttered, "It's only been one night but this place has already started making bad memories."

 Sam looked up the coordinates in his phone. They pointed toward a warehouse in Georgia. After a quick discussion about angels, Castiel teleported the group and the Impala to the warehouse. As the group walked inside, they were met with an awful surprise. Crowley was inside the warehouse waiting for them.


	7. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Willow confronts Adaajah about her intentions with Buffy. Rennis has an encounter with Death and The First. The group learns new information from Crowley.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Dimension: The Coven Hut

Willow was sitting in an empty room inside the coven's hut. In front of her were several scrolls and magical implements arranged in specific poses. The only light in the darkened room was a single candle nestled amongst the assortment of items. She poured over the information and began adding herbs and pieces of bone to a large bowl she had in her lap. Using a large pestle, Willow crushed up the contents until they were a fine powder. 

Just as she began uttering an incantation, all of her items suddenly disappeared in a flash of blue light. A draft of cold air blew in from behind Willow. She turned around to see the towering frame of Adaajah floating into the room.

"I told you not to make any attempts to contact them", Adaajah scolded in anger.

Willow looked at the blue figure with concern. 

"What are you hiding from me, Adaajah?" 

"Leave it, child", Adaajah retorted with condescension, "You are not prepared for such things."

"Tell me!"

"No."

"Please, Adaajah I cannot be kept in the dark like this...not when it comes to Buffy."

"Loyalty is a noble attribute but it can lead you astray especially when it comes to that misguided girl. Now, do as I say, child. Stay here and wait until I come back for you."

Adaajah turned around to leave the room but Willow made a motion with her hand causing the door to slam shut. Adaajah turned around and gave Willow a malicious smirk.

"You believe you have even the slightest chance against me?", Adaajah quietly inquired.

"Maybe. Slightest chance might be overstating it a bit, but it's better than no chance at all. I can't just sit back and let something bad happen to my friends." 

"Oh, nothing bad is going to happen to them, child. On the contrary...it's something quite good."

Adaajah flicked her wrist upward, sending Willow up into the ceiling with a loud thud. As Willow was helplessly stretched out across the top of the room, Adaajah walked underneath her to address her face to face. 

"Now listen to me, Willow. I care for you more than you can possibly ever know. I understand that you have made mistakes and I have forgiven you for them. It is time to depart from those who have driven you to commit atrocities against fate and the order of the Universe. These "friends" you speak of are nothing more than distractions. It's time to leave them behind you."

"What...what are you talking about", Willow uttered in strain. 

"Events have been set into motion that will rectify the mistakes of the past. Unfortunately, you friends will not survive the transition. That is all you need to know."

As Willow helplessly pressed up against the ceiling she felt anger and sorrow welling up inside her. A new battle began as Willow fought the darkness from clawing its way out. Her hair started turning black as she struggled to conjure happy thoughts and feelings but all the joyous memories she could muster were quickly swept under the tide of rage. 

"Stop...Adaajah, please...don't do this!"

"I am filled with regret that I have to resort to such drastic measures, but until this crisis has passed I cannot allow you to leave this room."

Willow suddenly felt a calm come over her. Her body felt hot and prickly as if she had just slid into scalding water. She could sense all the good things inside her being buried under layers of insidious hatred. Willow opened her solid black eyes and looked down at Adaajah. 

"Now see what you've done. I really didn't want it to come to this but now that it has, it feels...good."

"Release your anger and darkness all you like. I am beyond you. In age, in power. You will learn to accept what fate has designed for you, one way or another."

Willow slowly turned her head. She no longer struggled and no longer cared about secrets or friendship. Unbridled, the entity known as "Dark Willow" crept through Willow's helplessness and fear to once again take control. 

"You're right, you know. About power. You are very powerful, I can feel it, so ancient and connected. Too bad it's wasted on an old battle-axe like you. Or is it?"

Adaajah stood under Willow while holding her hand in the air. A blue, luminescent mist began forming around her. As it rose into the air, Adaajah suddenly felt a sick feeling come over her. 

"What are you doing?", Adaajah yelled as she tightened her grip on Willow, "Stop it this instance!"

"You've got all that ancient power, but, like a fool, you failed to secure it to anything other than yourself. I mean, talk about easy to hack. Sorry, you're probably way behind the times. Hack is just some computer jargon for I'm stealing your magic, bitch."

The mist became thicker as it poured from Adaajah. Her hold on Willow began to weaken as she fought to remain steady. 

"Your incessant babbling is wearing on me", Adaajah bellowed through clenched teeth. 

"Then let's cut to the chase."

Willow began speaking an incantation that caused the room to shake. Suddenly a bright blue light erupted from Adaajah's chest and enveloped Willow. The power that Adaajah wielded had been absorbed by dark witch. As Adaajah fell to the ground and the light faded, Willow was released from the ceiling. She slowly drifted down and landed next to Adaajah on the floor. 

Willow lay on the ground next to sorceress and stared at the ceiling. The power was overwhelming. Far beyond anything the coven was capable of. There was something pure so about it. Almost holy. Willow sat up and looked around. She could now see the walls that divided the dimensions. As she stood up she realized her hair had grown out and was now white. 

"What is this, Adaajah?"

Adaajah did not respond as she shook uncontrollably and mumbled. 

"Wait. I've felt this power before. It's all so clear now. I know exactly what you are. You're a Guardian."

Willow bent down and gently stroked Adaajah's hair.

"It's going to be okay, Adaajah. I'm going to fix your mess. But first I need to see what you have done. I'm sorry but this is going to hurt."

Willow placed her hand on Adaajah's forehead. A red light emitted from her palm causing Adaajah to scream and shake in pain. As Willow began to see the sorceress's memories, tears began streaming down her cheeks. 

"Oh god, Adaajah. What have you done?" 

 

Supernatural Dimension: Hell

Rennis casually strolled down the stone hallways of the dungeons where the souls of the damned were kept. He smiled as he took in the screams and agony that filled the air. It was like beautiful music to his ears; soothing and warm. Rennis pulled a small remote out of his pocket and clicked it. The sounds of torment immediately disappeared and all that remained was a roaring, deafening silence.

Rennis had installed a sound system in the dungeon in order to try different types of sound torture on the inhabitants. Rennis was pleased with its success and decided to celebrate. He walked back to the main chamber which was now completely empty. The demons in Rennis' service were reluctantly on an errand for Crowley so the Liaison was completely alone in his own private Hell. 

Rennis walked over to one of the stone arches covering the wall and pressed his hand to a brick on the lower left side. With a gentle shove, the brick slide inward which caused the wall to flip down revealing small shelves of liquor bottles and glasses on the other side. Rennis reached in and grabbed a bottle of whiskey. 

He poured a glass and set the bottle down on the contraption which flipped back into place. Rennis turned around to walk out but was met by a shocking sight. Death and the First, who appeared as Lucifer, were standing at the archway. 

Rennis took a large swig from his glass. "Hello, Death? To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Save it", Death uttered, "I'd prefer to get through this without your nose lodged up my backside." 

"And what are we getting through, exactly...gentlemen?" Rennis gave Lucifer a cold, angry stare. 

"We require a significant amount of power in order to conduct a little...experiment", Death stated with his typical unwavering poise, "It would seem that this little armpit of the world has just the requirements we need."

"And what is it we have that you need?"

"Don't play coy with me. We need souls you pathetic smudge. Post-haste." 

"Well, gentlemen, I am afraid I do not possess the ability to relinquish the souls of Hell; however, I am quite connected with Crowley who has recently taken up the coveted position of King of Hell. You will just have to speak with him."

"Hardly", Lucifer scoffed, "You can fool those witless demons all you like, but guys at our pay grade? Sorry, it's just not going to cut it."

"What are you talking abou-"

"Oh, come off it", Death interrupted, "We know that you are the true ruler of Hell and as such you possess the power of all the souls in damnation. Tell me I'm wrong and it will be the last thing you ever say."

Rennis looked shocked for a moment and then quickly regained his regal composure. He finished off the last of the whiskey in a deep guzzle that revealed his nervousness. 

"Alright then, fine. I only do this at the behest of Death, I will give you access to the souls but you must swear to never reveal my actual status. Agreed?" Rennis extended his hand to shake in agreement. 

Death cocked his head to the side as he looked over Rennis from head to toe. The Horsemen then stood straight up and placed both of his hands on the top of his cane.

"Shaking hands with Death? Do you really think that to be wise?"

Rennis looked down at his gesture and decided to retract his arm. 

"Fine. Then what is the next step then?"

"Well first, you're going to have to come down off that high-horse. Then it's time to give the Devil a little sympathy", Lucifer uttered with a gleeful smile. 

"And what does that mean?", Rennis inquired.

"I'm proposing we merge together. We would make quite a pair, you and I."

"Merge? With me? I thought you wanted souls?"

"Well it turns out that power isn't enough. I need a body. Plus you already have all those souls running through you. Don't you? You're giving off waves of energy like cartoon stink lines." 

Rennis looked down at his empty glass. He held it up to his face just before letting it drop to the ground. After it shattered across the floor, he bent down and picked up a large jagged piece of glass. 

"These things usually call for blood, don't they?"

"Oh, not to worry", Lucifer said as he walked up to Rennis, "The blood on your hands won't be your own."

Lucifer put his arms out as he faced Rennis. Following suit, Rennis reached his arms out and closed his eyes. The First's true form erupted from Lucifer's body and engulfed Rennis. The Liaison stepped back as the power surged through him. His eyes were black as he stared at Death. 

"Is it finished?", Death asked in a monotone voice. 

"I feel...incredible. The power is surging through me like an ocean."

"I take it the merge was successful?", Death inquired taking his left hand off his cane.

"Completely. Now all we need is to perform the binding ritual and you and I can become one."

"That is simply not going to happen", Death uttered as he shook his hand across the air causing the room to distort and disappear. 

"No! What are you doing?", Rennis yelled as a large chasm appeared containing hooked chains.

The hooks quickly impaled Rennis through his arms and legs. Several chains wrapped around his abdomen before thrusting deeply in his chest. 

"You really think I can just let you carry on with this nonsense of rewriting all of existence. Again I say, you really should have known me better or you could have spared yourself an eternity of unnecessary pain and torture. And Rennis, while you were only a pawn in all this, I hope that you take comfort in knowing that your sacrifice has saved countless worlds and dimensions."

"You cannot stop me", Rennis spat with fury as he spoke for the First, " I can't be contained, remember? I'm everywhere."

"On the contrary, whenever you inhabit a vessel, you are rooted to that vessel and all other ties are severed. I have bound you to Hell. This will be your cage for all eternity. Better get comfy."

"No! You can't do this", Rennis yelled as he struggled in vain to free himself. 

"I already have", Death retorted as he turned and casually walked away with his cane keeping pace. 

As Rennis screamed in agony, Death looked back with a somber expression and disappeared. 

 

Supernatural Dimension: Abandoned Warehouse in Atlanta, Georgia

Crowley stood there drinking from a bottle of bourbon with the disheveled homeless man. No longer in pain or dying, the homeless man laughed at something Crowley had just said. The pair suddenly noticed the group walk in. 

"I see you all got my message", Crowley stated while handing the bottle over to the homeless man, "I hope no one lost any fingers or toes. That blonde haired bastard is quite a sadistic one. Or should I say WAS after Moose here stabbed him to death. There's a don't-shoot-the-messenger joke somewhere in there but frankly I have other things on my mind. I trust we all know why we're here."

"What is this, Crowley? Some kind of trap?", Dean yelled.

Buffy and Faith hung back as Dean, Sam, and Castiel approached the Crowley. 

"No trap. Just a man and his shapeshifter enjoying a well earned drink."

The homeless man smiled as he flashed his real eyes. Dean scoffed at the shapeshifter before looking at Crowley.

"This is the worst ploy I have ever seen. Are you even trying anymore, man?" 

"Do you want to hear what I have to say or do you want to just stand here and insult me?"

Dean looked at Crowley with a go-to-hell stare. 

"Just tell us what you want so we can get this over with", Sam uttered with impatience.

"Fine. My friend here was present for a little get together between the First beastie and Big Daddy Reaper himself."

"Get to the point, Crowley", Castiel interjected. 

"Watch it, St. Nobody or I'll clip those wings of yours. As I was saying, the two biggest baddies in town had a conversation that ended in an all too apocalypsey manner. They plan on merging to become some sort of super entity and destroy all of existence in order to hit the reset button. Is this all starting to sink in or do I need to bash your brains in before you get it."

"Okay", Sam said in a calm voice, "What do you want us to do about it?"

"Hello? You're the bloody Winchesters! You swoop in like knights in plaid armor and save the day. It's what makes you so irritatingly charming."

"So you're not going to help us, are you?", Dean asked with contempt.

"Help you? I just risked my life to bring you this snippet of info. I've done more than help you; I've turned the tide in your favor."

Dean laughed as he put his hands on his hips.

"Right. You expect us to, what, take on Death and the embodiment of evil itself with rock salt and machetes?"

"Well that's just something you all are going to have to figure out. I'd get crackin' on a strategy if I were you. Those two are already well on their way to completing their task."

Crowley took the bottle from the shapeshifter and began walking away. The shapeshifter immediately got up and followed behind. Crowley waved as he left the building.

"I rooting for you. Go Team Free Will!"

Dean and Sam looked at each other.

"So, what do we do now?", Sam asked Dean with concern in his voice. 

"I haven't got a clue. Cass? What do you think?"

"I fear we will not be able to overcome this turn of events."

"Well that's helpful", Dean retorted. 

As Dean, Sam, and Castiel discussed the matter, Buffy and Faith urgently walked up.

"Hey guys, I think we have a plan?", Buffy said rubbing her head. 

Dean looked over at the Slayers and sighed.

"At this point, anything will help. What do you have in mind?"

"I just received a pounding headache message from our friend Willow. We might have a way to stop the First; once and for all."


	8. Look and Behold, A Pale Horse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The First and Rennis discuss their predicament. The group begin plans to get rid of the First.

Supernatural Dimension: Hell

Rennis hung from the chains by large hooks embedded in his body as he stared at the entranceway. Although the room had been transformed into a howling abyss, the entrance leading to the main hall was still connected. The First poked around in Rennis' mind in order to find some way to get out of the cage. 

"Stop struggling", Rennis yelled out through clench teeth, "I feel you squirming about in there. I knew you would bring me nothing but pain and misery from the moment I saw you. I know a miscreant when I see one."

The First began speaking to Rennis through his thoughts.

"Ah, poor baby. You know, if you tell me how to get out of here, you can get out too. I'll need your body for a while but you can have it back when I'm done."

Rennis shook his head. 

"Although this is rather excruciating, it is quite bearable next to the thought of you running around free to do as you please, in my body, no less."

"Come on. Don't you feel a little...betrayed by all this? Death just barges into your home, demanding everything of you, only to turn around and use you like a prison. That's a raw deal if I've ever seen one."

Rennis was outraged by his treatment but understood that a much worse fate awaited him if the First fulfilled its plans. 

"It's a pity but I'm afraid you're stuck with me, here...for all eternity."

The First knew, the only way out was to find how Rennis controlled Hell. After probing his thoughts deeply, the First found exactly what it needed. 

"You're a sadomasochist, aren't you?", the First said with a snicker. 

"I'm a demon. It's in the job description."

"No. I mean, you really get off on torture and pain. A little BDSM after work and you're right as rain. You even have a wench to help you carry out these fantasies. What's her name? Ah, yes, Marigold."

Rennis was concerned by the news and hesitated to respond. 

"I...I don't see where you are going with this?"

The First clutched at Rennis' mind like a steel claw. The pain caused Rennis to lurch back in a deep arousal. 

"There it is", the First mocked, "There's that spot you just can't itch. Rennis, you naughty boy. I can keep you so deep in pain and pleasure you won't care what I do with your body. I'll be in control."

"N...no...stop...I"

Rennis leaned his head back, mouth agape, while uttering a deep sigh of content. Rennis then closed his mouth and opened his pitch black eyes. The Liaison was no longer in the driver seat; the First had assumed complete control. As Rennis, the First looked down at the bound body of the Liaison before looking toward the door. 

"Oh, Marigold? Where are you?"

Moments later, the sound of a bare feet tapping against the stone floor began echoing down the hall. The voluptuous woman with short dark hair came walking through the doorway wearing black leather underwear and a spiked collar. She seemed confused as she looked at the sight that confronted her. 

"Don't worry about all this. I just need you to get me out of this", the First called out.

Marigold hesitantly walked into the room and towards her imprisoned master. 

"Why not do it yourself, Master?", Marigold stated in a timid but seductive voice. 

"Because, my powers have been bound, however; I can still transfer them to someone else. We're going to do a little role-play. I need you to get my talisman."

Marigold smiled as she bowed and exited the room. After a period of time, she returned, in stride, with the trinket in hand. The talisman was a large smooth, orange-colored sphere with a silver casing around it. She quickly walked up to the imposter Rennis with the talisman.

"You know what to do."

Marigold held the talisman into the air before reciting an incantation.

"Potentia inferni", Marigold said. 

A red mist began to form around Rennis' body. The mist then collected in front of him as it rolled in on its self until it became a bright red orb. The ball hovered for a moment and then shot into the talisman. Marigold's eyes turned black as her body shivered from the amount of energy being absorbed. 

Once the transfer was complete, she held out her hand causing the chains to relinquish their hold. The First fell to the floor as the abyss behind him faded and disappeared. Marigold lowered her hand and walked to her fallen master. The First stood up and wrapped his arms around Marigold and gave her a kiss on the mouth. She spat onto the floor as she glared at Rennis. 

"Now, the talisman."

The First held out his hand. Marigold hesitated but ultimately gave in to her master's request. After the First regained the power of Hell and all its souls, it snapped Rennis' fingers causing the suit to repair itself and remove the blood stains. 

"I can't greet my audience looking like a slice of Swiss cheese. Here, take this and put it somewhere. I don't care."

The First handed the talisman back to Marigold. 

"It's time to pay my dear brother a visit", the First uttered before disappearing. 

Looking down at the talisman, Marigold was concerned about what just occurred. After walking back into the hallway, she came to a stone wall where she tapped on a series of bricks. This caused several sigils to appear in the shape of a door before they disappeared revealing a passage. She walked down a small set of stairs and toward a wall on the far side. 

The room contained a single bed and several implements used for torture. On the wall was a golden hook in which the talisman had been placed. Marigold walked over to the wall and started to return the trinket when she heard a cough from behind her. In a flash, she turned around to see Crowley standing at the foot of the stairs leaning up against the wall. 

"Hello dear, whatcha got there?"

Marigold held the talisman close to her in a futile attempt to conceal it from Crowley.

"Now, now. Don't be fussy. I already know all about it. See, I knew if I let things play out, Rennis would show his hand eventually. He was swinging some major mojo, I just didn't know how. All the pieces have fallen into place nicely, don't you think?"

"You can't have this", Marigold uttered in a cold, confident tone.

"Oh, darling. You just let the end of all life walk out of here dressed as your boyfriend and you're worried about some piece of jewelry. Well, at least you have your priorities straight."

"What do you mean?", Marigold asked.

"Rennis has been possessed, you twit. I know, a demon being possessed, how redundant."

"I knew something wasn't right", Marigold revealed, "Master doesn't kiss me."

"How touching. Now, can you hand over the talisman so I can go keep your boy toy from doing something stupid?"

"And why should I trust you? Master doesn't. He was using you to hide his true nature. You're just a figure head in Hell."

Crowley smiled and walked over to Marigold. She stepped back but bumped into the wall. He was now standing directly in front of her. 

"Look. I don't care if you don't trust me. See, regardless of how insignificant you find me, I am a demon and you're just a filthy little soul. Scissors beat paper, love."

Marigold began to speak in Latin. 

"Virtus Christi Cogeris..."

Crowley's face began burning causing him to fall back onto the bed behind him. Marigold stopped chanting and grabbed a ball gag off the wall. 

"Placabit", Marigold said forcing Crowley to pull his arms away from his face and lay them out across the bed. 

The spell was used to incapacitate individuals. She then looked at the red marks on his face from the previous spell and smiled. She straddled Crowley and placed the gag in his mouth. 

"Don't worry, nothing kinky. I just need to make sure you're not going to interrupt me. Listen, you uppity whelp. I'm not just some soul poking around in Hell. I'm a witch. One that can turn your chubby little host body inside out and stuff your smog-filled ass into the deepest parts of the Pit. So, here's what happens next. I'll give you the talisman but only to stop this thing from hurting Master."

Crowley responded but was muffled by the gag. 

"I'm going to assume you said you agree. Because if anything happens to him, I'll crush you. Or as you would say, rock beats scissors...love."

Marigold removed the gag and allowed Crowley to get up. He brushed off his coat as his face began to heal. He stared at Marigold with a cocky smirk. 

"Well, I can see what Rennis sees in you. You're feisty, beautiful, and homicidally deranged."

Marigold handed the talisman to Crowley. 

"The second you refuse to give Rennis back his power, I pop your head like a grape."

Crowley stuck the talisman in his pocket and ascended the stairway. 

"Don't worry, I'm going to make sure you and your boyfriend are reunited. You have my word."

Crowley shot her a sinister grin just before he disappeared. Marigold sighed as she looked around the empty room. 

 

Supernatural Dimension: Abandoned Warehouse in Atlanta, Georgia

Buffy and Faith stood facing Dean, Sam, and Castiel as they discussed how to stop the First. 

"So...you want to run that by us one more time?", Dean uttered straining to understand their plan of action. 

"We need to open up a dimensional portal that will suck the First into the void that divides the realms. We'll have to get real close to it for this to work", Buffy stated. 

"And that will stop it from coming back?"Sam inquired. 

"It should. I'm not sure of the details, but Willow is going tell us how to do it when she gets here."

"The Willow you spoke of before?", Castiel said.

"Yeah, she's a friend and a really powerful witch too", Buffy uttered in a bubbly tone. 

"Woah", Dean interjected, "Your friends a witch? That's all we need is a bunch of animal parts hanging around."

"Eww, gross. I don't know how magic is done on your side but we use as little animal parts as possible and we definitely don't hang them up." 

"Oh. Good then", Dean replied. 

Faith looked distracted as she stood next to the group. She began to walk away as the others began the plan of attack. Dean noticed her leaving and decided to go after her.  
After a few minutes of searching, he found her sitting on a huge metal beam that had fallen from the ceiling. She sat with her head in hand as Dean walked up.

"Hey. You doing okay?", Dean asked. 

"Oh, yeah. Just peachy. Everything's five-by-...nevermind."

"You want to talk to me about it?", Dean inquired as stepped closer. 

Faith looked up at him and scoffed. 

"I only need a man for one thing. You've fulfilled your usefulness; don't start feeling obligated to give me sympathy."

"No obligated sympathy. Got it. So, how about just some regular sympathy?", Dean replied.

"Really? You're gonna pull a line like that?"

"No lines, either. I want you to feel better. Seriously."

The statement sent a shiver through Faith. Tears began to develop in her eyes. 

"You shouldn't care about me, Dean. I'm not worth the effort. None of it matters anyway, I mean, we are just someone's imagination. All my sins are laid out for the world to see. It's just pointless."

Dean knelt down in front of Faith and looked her straight in the eye. 

"You are such an extraordinary woman. I knew that the moment I saw you. We all have sins to atone for and as far as the whole "TV show" thing, even if you were just dreamed up by some guy, you are completely real to me."

"Actually, it was the other way around", a familiar voice said from nearby. 

Dean looked up to see Death standing next to them. Faith and Dean stood up and stepped back.

"Who is this?", Faith asked calmly.

"Death", Dean uttered with concern. 

"Hello Dean, nice to see you too. Sorry to interrupt your touching conversation but we have more pressing concerns at the moment."

"What did you mean, it was the other way around?", Faith asked. 

"Your world. It was created long before it was 'dreamed up by some guy' for a television program."

"What does that-"

"I'm not here to discuss that", Death interrupted, "I'm here to discuss the First."

"Yeah, we know. You're going to mind-meld or whatever to become like gods. Your secret plans aren't so secret."

"I see Crowley told you about our plans just as I expected", Death said.

Dean was speechless. 

"How did you-", Dean began.

"Oh really, Dean? I'm Death. I can tell the difference between a dying man and a poorly acted farce committed by a shapeshifter. The real thing has a better ring to it. Plus I can smell that pungent, little crossroad demon from a mile away."

"We'll, what? Now, you kill us and then destroy the universe?", Faith asked. 

"On the contrary, I intend to preserve it. Right now, I have that urchin you call the First, tied up in Hell waiting for the proper prison sentence. I hear that you and your comrades might have just the solution?" 

"Uh...yeah. There's some sort of portal thing that leads to a void or something. I didn't get all the details", Dean said. 

"How expected. A Winchester goes bounding straight into trouble without bothering to gather any preemptive information. Tsk. Tsk."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go find out what's going on. Okay?"

Death, Faith, and Dean walked over to the rest of the group. Castiel and Sam looked shocked upon seeing Death while Buffy remained indifferent to their new guest.

"Who's the mortician?", Buffy inquired. 

"Death", Castiel and Sam said in unison. 

A wide-eyed expression appeared on Buffy's face.

"Oh."

"It's okay, guys. He's not working with the First", Dean revealed noticing Sam and Castiel's demeanor. 

"So, what is this portal idea you have?", Death asked with a cold tone.

"Our friend is coming to open a portal to the void between dimensions and allow it to suck the First inside."

"Ah, Buffy Summers. The Slayer who would not stay dead. I hope your friend understands the severity of what they are doing. One cannot simply open a tear in the universe and just put it back like nothing happened. For lack of a better solution, I am in the unfortunate position of allowing this to occur."

"She can handle it. We just need to find the First", Buffy stated while crossing her arms.

Death stared down at Buffy with a stern glance.

"That is where I come in. The First is currently melded to a demon and chained up. I will retrieve him once the portal is ready. I certainly hope this plan of yours works as it would be most disastrous if this entity were freed in its present state."

"Oh and we can't have that, now can we?", a voice said from behind a large chunk of rubble. 

Rennis walked out to meet the group with a wide grin across his face.

"Hello brother", the First said holding up its hand.

A shock wave erupted from it that traveled across the room sending the entire group, except for Death, flying to the other side of the building. Each member landed hard on the ground. They strained and struggled as they attempted to get to their feet. The First walked up to Death.

"You betrayed me. How could you do that to family?", the First uttered with a pouty face.

"How did you get out?" Death inquired with a grimace. 

"It doesn't matter anymore. I'm free! And now, I'm going to finish what I started."

Death attempted to teleport but was unable as the First was using Rennis' amplified power to hold him down. Left with no other option, Death started an earthquake that began ripping apart the ramshackle building. Castiel reached over and grabbed Dean's shoulder.

"Everyone! Touch me!", Castiel yelled as the tremors worsened. 

Dean giggled slightly at what Cass said. The group took hold of Castiel and within the blink of an eye they were on the outside of the building in a grass field. They watched as the building's roof started caving in. Inside, the First stared at Death with an unwavering grin. 

"Is this the best you can do?", the First inquired.

"I'm going to bury us so deep in the Earth, it'll take a millennia just to dig ourselves out of the mantle. Now let me go and I'll stop this." 

"Or I could just do this", the First uttered as it jumped at Death. 

The entire ground underneath the building fell out causing the structure to slide deep into the Earth. The group watched in awe of what transpired. Faith looked over at Buffy.

"Hey, how many times are we going to have to drop the First into a giant hole?", Faith asked. 

"Well, at least this time it was just a single building and not the entire city", Buffy replied.

"So...is it over? Did we win?", Dean said looking around them. 

"Looks like", Buffy responded while dusting the dirt off her pants. 

"Guys, I don't mean to complain, but that seemed a little too...easy", Sam said. 

"What do you want, Sam? Death just dropped an entire warehouse on our problem. I say we quit looking this gift horse in the mouth and go get us some drinks to celebrate", Dean said. 

"What of Death?", Castiel inquired. 

"He's a big boy. I'm sure he can handle himself", Dean replied. 

"Then my task is complete. I must return to Heaven."

Just as Castiel stepped away from the group, the sound of bending metal could be heard coming from the sinkhole. Everyone looked toward it as pieces of the building were being tossed aside. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the pit. It was Death but with red glowing eyes. 

"Son of a bitch!", Dean yelled. 

Death floated towards the group before descending to the ground just yards from where they were standing. He stood with his hands clasped in front of him and his red eyes transfixed on Buffy. 

"Buffy. I wanted you to be here to see the new me. The me that will end all life and existence to start over again and forge this plane into my own design. And, of course, to feel your guts squish between my fingers."

"Sorry to tell you this, but I like the new you even less than the old one", Buffy retorted. 

"Always with the quips. You are beyond insignificant yet you think you can make a difference. Not this time, Slayer. Not ever again. I'm a whole new kind of monster. I am no longer the First or Death but a coalescence of the two. I will bring about the end of all that was, is, and will be to come. I am the Last Evil." 

The entity disappeared causing a shockwave that blew across the group like a harsh wind. After the disturbance died down, the group looked at one another in complete shock. Faith looked at Buffy as Dean looked at Sam. Suddenly, Willow appeared in front of them causing everyone to jump. 

"Oops! Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you", Willow said as her long white hair flapped in the wind. 

Everyone looked at Willow with a concerned grimace. 

"Uh-oh. What did I miss?", Willow uttered.


	9. Tomorrow Has Been Cancelled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Last Evil begins it's regime to wipe out all of existence. The group must figure out a way to stop it.

Supernatural Dimension: Mount Everest

 The very second the First merged with Death, the strands holding the entire dimension together began to fall apart. All the ties between worlds began to unravel and retreat into themselves. The reason Buffy's exploits had become a part of Dean and Sam's world was through the transference of knowledge obtained through imaginative dreams. 

 Other worlds were connected in similarly subtle ways, such as a song being sung of another world or even merely hallucinations. All these possibilities exist because the dimensions were growing into each other like an overgrown pasture claiming the land for its own. Death could no longer hold back his urge to eliminate life as the First had corrupted him beyond redemption. 

  He stood there on the peak of the mountain staring down at the world. He snapped his fingers causing a massive avalanche to cascade down the mountainside. With that very motion, tsunamis formed in all the oceans, massive earthquakes tore through every part of the world, and one by one, global disasters began striking every continent with a frightful precision. 

 The Last Evil had begun its eradication of all life and the only thing that stood in the way was a group of mortals with a single angel. 

Supernatural Dimension: Near Abandoned Warehouse in Atlanta, Georgia

 "Willow!" Buffy yelled, "What happened to your hair?"

 Willow smiled as she flicked her flowing white hair around her back. 

 "A parting gift...from Adaajah. She allowed the First to come here and tried to stop me from contacting you, so I took her powers."

 "You're not going to go all black-eyed and veiny, are you?" Buffy looked at her friend with mild apprehension. 

 Willow closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh of content. "No, this power is...benevolent. Buffy, Adaajah was a Guardian."

 "A Guardian?" Faith inquired, "Like those chicks that made the scythe?"

 "Exactly, but she watched over the dimensions and kept things in order on a celestial level. She used the coven as her sort-of headquarters."

 "Why did this sorceress chick send you two here if she wanted the First to succeed?" Dean asked while folding his arms. 

 "She sent Buffy and Faith here to allow the original Slayer line to be destroyed and because she really didn't like you, Buff." 

 "Great," Buffy said as she rolled her eyes. 

 "As helpful as this revelation is, it does little to stop the horsemen and the being possessing him." Castiel looked up in the sky as he finished speaking. 

 "What is it, Cas?" Sam inquired due to the worry on the angel's face. 

 "The atmosphere has just changed rapidly. I sense an impending disaster."

Suddenly, the group noticed dark clouds forming in the distance to the east. A hurricane of biblical proportions was about to hit the eastern seaboard. 

 "That doesn't look good," Buffy uttered.

 "I think it's time for a change of venue," Willow stated as the air became ominously still. 

 "Yes, it is," Castiel said, "I fear this place will not be safe for much longer."

 Castiel had the group huddle around him and they all teleported away.

* * *

 Deep inside the hole where the warehouse had collapsed, Rennis lay impaled on a piece of rebar that stuck out of the tangled mass of metal and construction beams. Crowley appeared next to his body and stood on a piece of steel that was jutting out from the side of dirt. He smiled as he inspected the fallen King of Hell. 

 "Oh, Rennis. See, you warned me not to get involved with the likes of the First and what do you do? You go and give the damn thing the bloody means to destroy the whole of existence. I'm disappointed in you, but I can help you fix this mess. All I need is your kingdom."

 Crowley pulled the amulet from his pocket and uttered the incantation. Red sparks enveloped Rennis lifeless body before they shot off into Crowley's chest. His eyes turned red and appeared to be burning with a crimson mist. Once the spell had finished, Crowley straightened his suit and bent down to meet Rennis face-to-face. 

 "I made a promise to your precious Marigold that I intend to keep. You two are to be reunited. Unfortunately, it will be on my terms. Now, let's get you home."

 Crowley laid his hand on Rennis' shoulder and they both vanished. 

Supernatural Dimension: Death Valley, California

 The group appeared in the middle of the desert, surrounded by sagebrush and sand. Everyone let go each other's hands and looked around. 

 "Jesus! Where did you take us, Cas," Dean said with an annoyed grimace at the sudden blazing heat. 

 "Death Valley. I found it to be a fitting place to discuss a plan of action. It is isolated and safe from natural disaster...for the moment."

 "Plan of action?!" Dean threw his arms up, "What plan of action? We are way out of our league here. The only thing to do now is to zap us to the nearest bar and drink ourselves into a nice stupor before all of existence ends."

 "Seriously?" Buffy looked indignantly at Dean as she folded her arms, "You guys are supposed to be the saviors of this world and you just give up when things get a little hard. I had to go head-to-head with a hell-god and I didn't give up. Well...technically, I did, but it was this whole dream coma thing so it doesn't really count..."

 Dean walked up to Buffy.

 "Look this ain't the land of magic and fairies. And white haired witches or not-" 

 "Hey!" Willow interjected.

 "We can't stop what is coming. This is the real world and sometimes the bad guy wins...And you!" Dean pointed at Faith, "We need to talk." 

 "Fine," Faith crossed her arms before turning around and storming off to a rock formation nearby. 

 Dean followed behind with an angry stride. 

 "So, I guess we just stand here and wait for the end then?" Buffy said to Willow.

 "We don't have to stay here," Willow whispered, "We can go back. I have the power to do that."

 Buffy looked stunned by the comment. Although, she knew that she would get home; she figured it would have been a victorious return, not a retreat. Even if she turned her back and ran, the evil would only spread. How long would it be before her own world was threatened? It was time to take a stand and fight against the very concept of evil...again. Buffy was surely not going gentle into that good night. 

 "No. We stay, Will. If you can't, I understand. We could use a second front-"

 "I'm staying where ever you are, Buff," Willow said with a cheerful smile, "If the Slayer's going down with the ship then so am I."

 Sam and Castiel walked over to the two girls. 

 "You guys have a plan?" Sam asked. 

 "We face whatever comes and try to live long enough to stop it," Buffy proclaimed. 

 Castiel cleared his throat. "I see we are to the stage in which you attempt to rouse each other in order to stave off the gnawing certainty of impending death. It is one of the things that make humans so remarkable. You find hope even when there is none to be found."

"As always, Cas," Sam said with a smirk, "Your motivational skills are impeccable."

 Over near the rock formation, Dean stood behind Faith as she stared at the ground. 

 "Do you, um, feel the way I do? Or is it just me?" Dean put his hand on her shoulder but she knocked it away with her hand. 

 "It's just you," she remarked as she sat down on a flat surface of the rock.

 "I see." Dean sat down next to her and leaned back on his hands. 

 "What do you think you're doing?" Faith said. 

 "Well, if the world's gotta end...I can't think of a better place to be then right beside you...my god that sounded cheesy. What I meant was-"

 "Don't. I got it. What I don't get it is how you could just fall head of heels for some chick you just met. Yeah, I've got the goods, and I rocked your world and all, but dude, seriously? We aren't meant to be together. I'm from a whole other dimension. You just need to move on...well with the time we have left I mean."

 Dean laughed. "You certainly rocked my world. I've had my share of love-em-and-leave-em stories but I've never met someone like you. You cannot look me in the eye and tell me you don't feel it too. Something wants us to be together...God? The universe? I don't care. You somehow...complete me."

 A single tear fell down Faith's cheek as her eyes welled up with sadness. 

 "I'm not worth it. Everyone I've ever cared for either dies or uses me for their own sick thrills. I know you won't use me...yet, but we're both destined to be slammed in a coffin and buried deep underground. We can't escape that and we can't bring people we love down with us."

 "But, that's all we do is bring the ones we love down with us. It's the only way to stay sane with the kind of life we lead...wait. Oh my god. I just figured out how to stop this. Come on!"

 Dean jumped up and began running to others. Faith followed behind in befuddlement. 

 "Guys, yo!" Dean yelled out, "I've got it. I know how we can beat this thing."

 There was a moment of pause as Dean looked around at everyone.

 "Well, are you going to tell us or are you just going to keep to yourself?" Sam asked. 

 "Oh, right. I just thought someone would ask...nevermind. Look, Death was locked away in a magic coffin, right? Why can't we do that now?"

 "Yeah," Sam agreed, "The First is only possessing the body of Death. It should work, right Cas?"  

 Castiel stepped away from the group and looked toward the sky. "The only being capable of doing what you're suggesting is God and as your trip into Heaven revealed...he is no longer with us."

 Buffy ran up to Castiel. 

 "No. There has to be a way," she uttered with an urgent tone, "Take my energy. I'm full of all kinds of power. Faith too. Whatever can help."

 "While your spirit is noble, it is simply not enough to imprison the Horseman."

 "How about every soul on Earth?" Willow crossed her arms as she cocked her hip in a confident posture. 

 "Woah, Red," Faith said looking concerned, "You're just going to, what, tap everyone like a keg and suck out their life?"

 "Guys! White hair!" Willow pointed emphatically, "See. White means NOT evil. I'm talking about tapping into a force that binds us. It's a connection to the Earth that all living beings share. It'll be like siphoning water from the ocean through a straw. The energy will be focused through me as a conduit."

 Castiel placed a hand on his chin as he contemplated Willow's suggestion. 

 "Even with that power, we would still fall short of achieving the spell. We still need more energy."

 "I suppose that's my cue," Crowley said after appearing behind Castiel. 

 "Crowley!" Dean yelled as he stepped toward the demon. 

 "Now, now," Crowley stated as he raised a hand forcing Dean to stop in his tracks, "I'm not here to squabble. I'm here to offer you all the souls of Hell. Surely that can give this spell the kick in the ass it needs."

 Castiel looked Crowley in the eyes as he stepped up to him. "Why would you help us? Last time we met you said it was all on us to save the day."

"I did and you lot allowed two of the most powerful beings in the universe to merge. I was just going to leave you to rot but once I heard what kind of plan you had up your sleeves; I decided to help."

 "You heard our plan," Sam inquired, "Were you spying on us?"

 "Eyes and ears everywhere, Moose. I like to keep in touch." Crowley smiled as he put his hands in his pockets. 

 "Castiel?" Willow said, "Is what he proposing enough to work?"

 "If this is not a trick then yes, the added energy from the souls in Hell would indeed give us the advantage."

 "Alright then," Dean uttered, "What's the next step?"

 "We will need to procure several rare items in order to conduct the incantation," Castiel said looking over at Willow, "It would be best if we could bind the Horseman before we begin. It would give us a much better chance of actually completing the ritual before we are killed horribly."

 "What do we need for that?" Willow asked.

 "An act of God," Castiel responded. 

 Dean grunted as he put his hands on his head. "Are you kidding me? What does that mean? A resurrection? Turning water into wine? What?!"

 Willow giggled at Dean's frustration. "It's fancy talk for lightning, ya spaz. He's talking about fulgurite. It's rare but I bet with all this sand around us; I can make some."

 "Good," Castiel stated, "I will get the rest of the items. Stay here."

 With the sound of fluttering wings, Castiel disappeared.

* * *

 On a distant cliff, the Last Evil stood facing the group as it skulked about on its invisible perch. It knew of their plans to put Death back in his coffin the moment the words left their mouths. With a simple snap of its fingers, the Last Evil could obliterate every single one of the group...but where was the fun in that?

 It bided it's time to watch them inch closer to a resolution as hope started to fill them with every step forward. The Last Evil wanted to break them before offering them a brutal demise. 

Supernatural Dimension: Hell 

 Rennis awoke from his ordeal in a daze. He looked around to see only darkness as he attempted to move. The clinking of metal chains caused him to halt. The demon had chains wrapped around his arms and legs with several more around his body. They were held together by a lock on his chest that held demonic inscriptions. 

 He got off the floor and attempted to walk forward in the dark but heard someone screaming to stop. It was Marigold. 

 "Marigold," Rennis shouted, "What is going on?"

 "Crowley," she uttered with disdain. 

 Rennis pulled at the chains in an attempt to turn around. He could hear Marigold speaking behind him but could not see her. 

 "Stop moving," Marigold insisted, "We are tied to a machine that will activate if you pull too hard on the chains. I don't know what will happen but Crowley seemed almost gleeful when he tied me up."

 "How did he capture you?"

 "I-I made a mistake. I let him get too close and he slipped a hex coin in my pocket. I was coughing up the liquefied remains of my internal organs when he came back for me. I'm sorry, Master."

 "My powers are gone. I surmise that Crowley now holds them and the amulet?"

 "Yes, Master."

 "Then we are truly fucked. I swear, I will get out of here...and make that little shit stain of a crossroads demon pay."

 "How are you going to get out of here, Master?"

 "Crowley's has the keys to the kingdom...but he forgot to change the locks," Rennis uttered as a clicking noise permeated the darkness. 

 Suddenly, the chains around Rennis fell to the ground with a loud metallic thud. He was free. 

 "Master?" Marigold could sense something moving around her in the darkness. 

 "Shhh" Rennis slid his hand down her cheek. 

 He then grabbed her and forcefully pulled her toward him. The machine roared to life and began reeling the chains toward a deafening grinding noise. 

 "Master, why?!" Marigold shouted as she struggled to keep away from an agonizing torture. 

 "Because, you have compromised me in ways that may never be rectified. Consider this your punishment."

 Rennis walked away from the carnage about to unfold. As he reached the other side of the pitch-black room, he could hear Marigold screaming out in pain as the sound of flesh being mangled and torn filled the air. 

 Rennis felt around the wall until he came to a door. He opened it causing light to filter in from the torches burning in the hallway on the other side. With a quick glance back he could see the remainder of her body being fed through a giant grinder. Blood and tissue sprayed out across the room. The demon shook his head as he left the room. 

 In the hallway, two demons came running at him. Crowley had already turned his men against him. Rennis threw one against the wall with his telekinesis before grabbing the other one by the throat. 

 "I am your King. You treat me with such disrespect simply because Crowley has the power of the souls?"

 Two more demons appeared behind Rennis and slammed him against the wall. He slid to the ground as they surrounded him. 

 "We served you because you were strong," one of the demons uttered, "But now, you are nothing to us. Crowley is King now. You are just dust."

 Rennis looked slightly shocked by the demons bluntness; however, he was right. Rennis had failed as a ruler. 

 "Fine. Have Crowley."

 Rennis stood up and straightened his suit and tie. The demons went in to grab him but Rennis knelt down to the floor and swept his leg under all three demons causing them to come crashing to the ground. 

The ex-King then ran down the corridor and toward a secret exit he was aware of. Although, Rennis felt he deserved the exile he faced, he knew it was only temporary. It was just a matter of time before he returned to reclaim his kingdom.


End file.
